"TORB Tortoises Through SA" – (The 2005 South Australian Tour Diary)

Chapter Two - Day Two Saturday – Adelaide Hills and seasickness

Click here for Chapter One

Old habits die hard so I was up shortly after 5 a.m. going through my e-mails, without a good strong cup of coffee in my system, I felt just as deprived as I did yesterday morning. At six o'clock, prior to the sun coming up, I said goodbye to Sue who would be leaving for work shortly and set off for my early morning walk. It was a pitch-black moonless night and as Sue drove past me, she shattered the peace with a toot of her horn. Because I heard her car coming, when she honked, I only jumped two feet into the air, but the Kangaroo 2 m to my right got a real shock, bounded out in front of me and took off down the road which caused me to jump almost as high as the Kangaroo did; that took exactly 2.1 years off my life (official statistic) and almost caused a heart attack. What are friends for?

Judging by the number of dogs that came out and barked at me, there are more dogs than people living on Blewitt Springs Road. As the sun emerged from behind the hills and it got light, I was able to see the thriving metropolis of Blewitt Springs consists of a main road through the village, a Country Fire Station, a local meeting hall, two tennis courts that are in bad need of repair, and a small memorial plaque set in a rock in memory of soldiers killed during the Second World War.

When I got back to the property, after having successfully avoided being bitten by the cattle dogs that didn't like the look of a stranger walking past, Sue’s newest “family members” gave me a big welcome. Although I'm a country boy, I have never been fond of goats; having dealt with too many of them (in a retail sense) in the past. These two babies were certainly very cute and friendly. They treated me like a long-lost friend and wanted lots of cuddles and pats. To quote Sue, “they are very cute” and indeed, they are both cute and friendly.

…. The Pie King Bridge Vineyard Mascot (hope they don’t have goat pie on the menu nest time I visit.)

By the time I got back to the house, John had surfaced and was in the process of making a couple of buckets of tea, something he drinks every morning. Praise the Lord, he offered to make me a decent cup of coffee.  The subject of breakfast came up and in his inimitable style and completely consistent with his diet, a breakfast of pancakes with thickened cream and jam was suggested. As a guest, I couldn't be rude and went along with the suggestion. I must say breakfast was delicious, even if not exactly healthy, and after all, I was on holidays.

Today was going to be an interesting day; we were going to explore and discover the joys of the Adelaide Hills, something I have not done in about 15 years. I had carefully prepared a list of wineries for us to visit and the day was going to be relaxed because there was not a single appointment to be kept. The first port of call was Hillstowe which was listed as being in the main street of Hahndorf. When we arrived at the correct address, there was no cellar door, and to make matters worse, it was an office of Nepenthe Wines. We hadn't really planned on going to Nepenthe, in fact we thought that Shaw and Smith would be a next port of call, but due to a massive truck blocking their driveway we headed on down the road a little way and wound up at Nepenthe anyway. As we got out of the car, naturally enough I headed towards the cellar door and his Grape-Growership headed in the other direction into the vines to sample their fruit and proffer his expert opinion. What am I going to do with the man?

It's 10:45 a.m. and not a single wine has been tasted, this is a new record in relaxation for me! Having never been to Nepenthe, I had no idea what to expect and although they had a reasonable line-up of wines on the counter, only three took my fancy.

Nepenthe Entry and Cellar Door ………..

Nepenthe 2003 Tempranillo sells for $25 at cellar door. Spicy, bright juicy fruit with cedar notes on the nose, leads to a palette (palate?) of spice, chocolate and plum that is almost bitter in character. Lean in weight, the consistency is firm and the structure has some elegance; the wine is well balanced with unobtrusive dusty tannins and would be perfect as a food wine on a hot summer's day. Best consumed over the next three years, it is rated as Recommended with ** for value.

Nepenthe 2000 The Fugue sells for $25.50 at cellar door and it is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The bouquet is reserved and subtle, showing gentle spice, dusty oak with sweet and off-sweet berry nuances. Smooth, fine, unobtrusive tannins provide the backbone for this supple, medium-weight wine with an almost seamless structure and a well-developed complexity. Earthy mushrooms, cherry, chocolate and spice with lots of mint and green bean characters on the mid-palate, it finishes dry with some elegance. Well balanced and well constructed, this wine would be better with food and is best consumed over the next few years; rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Nepenthe 2002 Zinfandel will be released shortly; it is a blend of Lenswood and Charlestown fruit and is expected to sell for $30. The lifted bouquet (no VA or excessive alcohol,) exhibits floral violets and loads of attractive red berry fruit; the type of nose you can sniff all day and the mouth feel is even better, it’s sensational! Perfectly balanced by smooth, dusty, very fine tannins and distinct, persistent deep fruit that delivers a big bang of intense flavour with bugger-all weight. Blackcurrant and chocolate on the attack with intense spice on the mid-palate, (pepper and black cherry), are aided by lots of glycerol. Medium-weight, with a firm consistency and solid structure; for a Zin, it’s an elegant wine with a well-developed complexity and certainly “not as in your face” as many people would expect. Look out for this when it's released, it's worth buying and is rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value and the rating may improve as the wine becomes seamless in around 2008 and beyond.

At this winery, we ran into something which would prove to them be an endemic problem that occurred at far too many wineries on this trip. One of the bottles, although it had been checked by the staff was clearly suffering from cork taint. I will have lots more to say about this later.

The Nepenthe wines look like they are typical of their region and most would be ideally consumed with food. Judging by the limited selection of wines reviewed, this place knows what they're doing.

As we arrived at Shaw and Smith, so did a light sprinkle of rain which is something the growers could do without; in fact, since my arrival the weather had been decidedly cool, far cooler than is normal at this time of the year. These conditions are certainly causing concern to the growers and unless the weather warms up quickly and the rain clouds disappear, this vintage is not going to look good. However, this winery does look good; in fact it's downright classy. The lawn in front of cellar door is lush enough to put a bowling green to shame.

The cellar door is bright, modern and takes a slightly different approach to wine tasting. They charge a flat fee for each flight of wines. The wines are accompanied by matching cheese and there is enough wine and cheese to serve two people. This undoubtedly cuts out the riffraff and clearly it doesn't turn serious wine lovers off. Whilst we were there a minibus arrived and the passengers were quite happy to fork out five dollars per head.

The Grape Expert checking out the competition

Shaw and Smith 2002 Shiraz sells for $35 at cellar door. The wine had a lovely, bright colour and the peppery aroma jumped out of the glass as it was poured. The wine was matured in 100% French oak, 30% of which was new. Silky tannins, unobtrusive acid and pure fruit have great balance and produce a sensational mouth feel. Pepper, chocolate, and plums combine with a slight sappiness which is both subtle and attractive; nothing sticks out and this is a classy drop. Medium-weight, the consistency is velvety and soft, the structure's seamless and the complexity harmonious. A wine of excellent quality, it is rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value.

Shaw and Smith 2003 Merlot is not your average lolly water. The bouquet of plum, spice, and earthy mushroom oak delivers an intensely off-sweet uptake; almost sour in nature, but there is a good contrasting, subtle, underlying sweetness of plums below. It finishes slightly bitter with noticeable sappy tannins. Medium-weight with a solid structure and well-developed complexity, the acid seems pronounced. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value, this wine is worth revisiting in a better vintage as the style is good.

Shaw and Smith 2002 Elixir Shiraz sells for $30 from cellar door and is produced from 80-year-old Clare Valley vines. Dark purple plummy fruit with a hint of spice and subtle French vanillin oak characters were positively attractive as the wine opened up. Unobtrusive tannins provide a firm but supple consistency and solid structure. The pure deep fruit drives the wine and is offset by lively acid. The wine is well made and shows excellent balance. Plum, spice, white pepper, chocolate, more plum and sappy tannins show a harmonious, well-developed complexity and with every mouthful you discover something new. Whilst it's drinking well now it will improve and is rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value and should peak in around 2009 and beyond. To my taste, it was the best of the line-up.

Shaw and Smith wines are stylistically very similar and consistent across the range. All are well made and show sappy tannins which do not detract from the wines one iota.

Bridgewater Mill – The Old Building with the Latest in Event Technology

It was back in the car for the drive to Petaluma and if I thought this section of road with its twists and turns was a little uncomfortable, there was far worse to come later that day. I have been a fan of the wine made by Brian Croser for more years than I can care to remember, especially the Petaluma Coonawarra but the last time I actually visited Bridgewater Mill was in the late 1980’s. The historic building is one of the most beautiful cellar doors in Australia and I just love the place. (I didn't review the current release of Petaluma Coonawarra on this visit as I did so at Wine Australia in November.)

Petaluma 2000 Sharefarmers Cabernet Malbec sells for $19 at cellar door. Intense blackcurrant, a touch of spice, forest floor and spearmint on the bouquet came across the palate as does blackcurrant, chocolate, mint and sappy tannins but the wine was ripe and sweet. Obvious, dusty tannins together with equally obvious fruit produce a well-balanced package that is not exactly subtle and a bit chunky. Medium to ample in weight, the consistency is supple and the complexity agreeable. Good flavours for the dollar, it is a nice wine but a bit basic and rustic in style. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, it should best be consumed over the next four years.

Bridgwater 2001 Millstone Shiraz sells for $20 at cellar door. Blackberry, plum, chocolate and slightly toasted French oak on the bouquet delivers spice, blackberry, plum, milk chocolate and menthol on the palate. Ample-weight, the consistency is both firm and supple, the structure solid and tight, and the complexity well-developed. Whilst it is drinking well now, it should improve in the medium term, and is rated as Recommended with **** for value.

Petaluma 2001 Merlot sells for $45 at cellar door. The open bottle was clearly badly oxidised although it had only been opened late the previous day. When I pointed out there was a problem with it, the young lady on the counter said "we have had some funny corks on this wine.” And yet Croser is still an ardent supporter of corks; one can only wonder why when his wines are just as susceptible to cork problems as anybody else's. The wine showed bright, spicy fruit with an earthy, peaty nose. Powdery tannins and obvious fruit delivered spice, bitter chocolate, plum and more chocolate that finished with good persistence. Ample-weight, the wine is still tight and has an agreeable, harmonious complexity and a supple consistency. Whilst it finishes with good length, and is a good wine, it is still boring. Rated as Recommended with ** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures around 2007.

After leaving the Petaluma it was time for lunch and we were on the lookout for likely eating spots. Needless to say, John was looking for a pie shop and I was looking for a healthy sandwich. In a small town just north of the Bridgewater Mill, we both found what we were looking for and I headed into the delicatessen whilst John went to get his daily pie fix. It took some time to construct my salad sandwich, thankfully on wholemeal bread. By the time I got back to the car John was sitting in the back of it with his feet hanging out the door. In his right hand was something that looked like something my cat had thrown up, but there was an extremely contented expression on his face. When I asked him what he was eating, he lifted his head in much the same way he had last night when he removed it from a bucket of wine, and with a smile on his dial said, “a chicken pie” but I still don't understand why it is was a vital shade of green. I looked at him fair and square in the eye and said, “is that all you are having for lunch?" He looked at me just as squarely in the eye and said "nope, I have a steak and mushroom pie as well. My sandwich was edible and I have to learn how to stop asking stupid questions.

To say the road through the Adelaide Hills is winding and twisty is like saying the French produce a little bit of wine; whilst it's technically true it's just a little bit of an understatement. By the time we eventually got to Ashton Hills, I was about the same shade of green as John's chicken pie.

Stephen George is the wine maker at Ashton Hills and also makes his own Clare Valley wine under the Galah label. He is also the wine maker for the renowned Wendouree label so his winemaking credentials are impressive. According to John, Stephen can be a character and John had said we may be in for an "interesting time" if Stephen was there.

When we walked into the rather rustic and quaint cellar door, we were greeted by his wife. Even though Stephen wasn't there, the experience, was shall we say, "interesting" anyway. Mrs George is an accomplished professional at the hard sell in a refined way. In reality, the hard sell was not needed as the wines were very good. It gets up my nose when people behind the counter, even if they are the winemaker’s wives or the winemakers themselves, have repeated digs at me about my stylistic choice and decision to not try c-through wine; we all have the right to enjoy the wine style that we prefer without repeated criticism or sarcastic comments.

Ashton Hills 2003 Piccadilly Valley Pinot sells for $22 at cellar door and is a blend of 60% estate grown and 40% fruit purchased from a neighbour. Apparently, there are 17 different clones of Pinot on the property and that is why the Georges feel their Pinots are so good. The bouquet is attractive with sweet underlying fruit and funky Pinot characters which blew off leaving a clean, sweet wine. Bracing acidity hits the palate followed by pure raspberry and chocolate fruit that flow through the palate finishing both long and dry. Lean in weight, the unobtrusive, fine tannins provide a supple consistency and the structure is elegant. Complexity is fairly simple but nevertheless it is interesting and enjoyable. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Ashton Hills 2003 Estate Pinot sells for $42 at cellar door. A quintessential Pinot bouquet with underlying dirty sock characters leading to a deceptive palate, in which the basics are there, but the wine needs time to show its best and build complexity. Raspberry, bitter coffee and chocolate come from deep, intense persistent fruit which is lean in weight, has a supple consistency and a tight, elegant structure. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it'll probably hit its straps by 2008 and beyond; the rating may improve at that time.

Ashton Hills 2000 Five sells for $22 at cellar door and is a Bordeaux blend. A terrific balance comes from the smooth, powdery tannins and deep fruit that delivers black coffee, chocolate, and blackcurrant, with no sweet characteristics, and finishes with excellent length. The flavour profile is almost Pinot like and obviously cool climate, but it is ripe and finishes with sappy tannins. Medium in weight, the consistency is supple, the structure shows some elegance and the complexity is both well-developed and harmonious. Terrific value and a good food wine, it is rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value and will be best over the next five years.

The wines we tried will all good. John was also particularly impressed with the whites he sampled. Stephen George is obviously a very talented winemaker and has the ability to turn out an amazing diversity of wines from these cool-climate, elegant wines with a supple mouth feel, to the hugely tannic Wendouree’s.

From here on I was really in for a treat. Mile upon mile upon mile of twisty winding roads zigzagging their way through the hills with no other option of getting from a to b and John's stretch limo pie-mobile was not exactly built for this Dolly Parton like trip. Just remembering that road, whilst typing this up, is enough to bring back memories and make me feel queasy. I have never been carsick in my life, but by the time we got to our next stop, I was more than just a little queasy. The thought of getting out of the car was far more important than the thought of tasting wine. As we got out of the car, although there were some picture opportunities, I just wanted to get inside and have a big glass of water before I was violently sick.

Although I have tried wines from Chain of Ponds once or twice, I had not been particularly impressed and had not visited the winery. It was established in 1985 and is reported to be the largest grower in the Adelaide Hills. In 1992, they produced their first wine under the Chain of Ponds label. Naturally, the majority of the fruit is sold off and only a small amount is kept for their own usage. The wine maker, Neville Falkenberg is not exactly inexperienced, having worked at Penfold's for over a quarter of the century, before joining Chain of Ponds.

My decision to visit the Adelaide Hills and this winery specifically came about through an interesting situation. In the past, when arranging visits to Tatachilla my contact was Honi Dolling. Honi originally worked for St Hallett’s prior to the Lion Nathan takeover and after spending time at Tatachilla decided that a corporate move to Sydney was not the direction he wanted to take. Along with five other shareholders, they bought Chain of Ponds just over a year ago. Straight after Honi had settled into his new chair, I received an e-mail from him suggesting the next time I was in the Adelaide Hills I should arrange a visit to his new venture. It was the e-mail from Honi that made me realise I had not been to the Adelaide Hills in years and prompted this section of my trip. Unfortunately, he left town when he heard when I was coming   but we were well looked after by Brett Green.

We were extremely fortunate in being able to try a number of unreleased wines. When I was typing up these notes, I rang Honi for some information on the unreleased wines. You just have to love the attitude of somebody who says, “I am a Communist when it comes to pricing. The wine must be exceptional to go over $25. With the previous owners, it seemed like every time a wine won a gold medal, the price would go up by five dollars. We have brought the prices down to what, I believe, are realistic levels."

Chain of Ponds 2004 Tempranillo will sell for about $22 when it is eventually released. When that will be is anybody's guess. This is the first vintage of this wine and approximately 300 dozen have been made. It is most likely to be sold through cellar door and to mailing club members only. The wine has a gorgeous aroma of spice, chocolate and perfumed fruit. Ample-weight, the consistency is supple, the structure both solid and layered and the complexity sophisticated. A top drop with pure fruit, a lovely mouth feel and terrific balance delivering bright, fresh blackberry fruit, rich spice and chocolate that finishes persistently long and clean aided by refreshing acidity. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value this is one I will be looking to buy.

Chain of Ponds 2002 Amadeus will sell for $28.50 when it is released in a few months time. (No 2001 wine was made under this label.) The bouquet was deep, tight, brooding with beautiful perfumed fruit; a very classy wine indeed. Dusty, drying tannins and youthful, refreshing acid combine with deep fruit to provide excellent balance and construction. Blackcurrant, mulberry, coffee, chocolate and mint flavours finish long with tannins that just keep going for ever. The structure is tight, elegant and, in time, should become seamless; and whilst the complexity is agreeable, there is nothing simple about the wine, it just needs time to open up and build complexity. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value the wine will probably peak around 2010 and beyond.

Chain of Ponds 2002 Ledge Shiraz will sell for about $30 when it is released in a few months time. A touch of VA lifts the tarry, chocolate, inky, liquorice coffee and mushroom scents which have excellent concentration. A terrific balance and seductive mouth feel is provided by the smooth, drying tannins and deep, strong concentrated fruit that delivers intense blackberry, prune, chocolate, and liquorice flavours. Finishing long, it certainly packs a big punch for its ample-weight. Consistency is both supple and firm, whilst the solid structure, should become seamless in time. The complexity is both well-developed and harmonious making it easy to drink now but it should improve in the short term. The flavour profile is a love it, or hate it style, however it should be noted, the fruit is not stewed. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value.

Chain of Ponds 2002 Kangaroo Island Bordeaux Blend sells for $23.50. This is the current release wine and comes from 10 year old vines. The nose shows interesting berry nuances with raspberry, mulberry and subtle, smoky oak. Smooth, drying tannins combined with rich, obvious fruit, but unfortunately, it finishes stalky. Ample in weight, the consistency is firm; the structure solid, and the complexity agreeable. Rated as Acceptable with ** for value.

Chain of Ponds 2002 Barque Mars Shiraz sells for $23.50 at cellar door. The wine has an intensely black nose with strong blackberry and liquid smoke. A solid backbone is provided by the smooth, drying tannins that produces a soft consistency and provides a nice mouth feel. Deep, persistent, strong fruit delivers blackberry, prune/plum, chocolate and mint that is slightly stalky but finishes with excellent length and persistence. Ample-weight, the complexity is agreeable and harmonious making this a drink now proposition that is rated as Recommended with *** for value.  

Chain of Ponds 2002 Nebbiolo will sell for about $22 when it is released in a few months time. Distribution plans for the first release of this wine (approximately 300 dozen bottles) have not been finalised, but at this stage, it looks like the wine will only be available through mail order and cellar door. An unusual, tight bouquet; it was very earthy and also showed gunmetal flint and aniseed. A highly structured wine, positive acid flows through the persistent underlying sweetness that finishes with long drying tannins. The palate follows the nose with the addition of intensely savoury aniseed and chocolate. Ample-weight, the structure is solid and the complexity diverse. A lovely wine, it shows what can be done with this variety. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it should peak around 2008 and beyond. Another one I want to buy!

I walked in feeling carsick and walked out on a high after tasting some exciting wines. There is absolutely no doubt, that given good fruit, this winery can produce some interesting and unusual drops. The Kangaroo Island wines need work but the rest of the range was impressive for the price. I will definitely be joining their mail order list to get my hands on some of their new releases.

The next and last winery of the day, although technically in the Adelaide Hills, in reality is at the edge of the Barossa. There were two ways we could get there, the short way which involved some twisty winding roads at the start, or the long way which was reasonably straight. John decided he didn't want to clean up an unholy “projectile mess” that would have been made by yours truly if we had taken the twists and turns, so we went the long way.

Anyone who has either been drinking Australian wine for some time, or who has studied the history of Australian wine, will be familiar with the name Tolley. Malcolm Creek Vineyard was established in either in 1997 or 1982 depending on which reference you look at, but some of the facts are not in dispute. This is a retirement hobby/venture started by one of the industry stalwarts, Reg Tolley who is not exactly a spring chicken. When we arrived, ol’ Reg was out the front of his house sweeping the porch; I just hope I am as fit and active if I reach his age. This tiny operation produces about 700 dozen bottles.

Malcolm Creek 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon was cropped at 2 1/2 tons per acre and sells for $20 at cellar door; it has been recently released. The bouquet was interesting with the intensely sweet nuances backed by contrasting, offsetting characters. A solid wine, it's a little rustic but in a positive way. Whilst it is nicely balanced, it should come together with a bit more time. Ample-weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and an agreeable complexity, it is easy drinking now and good value. Flavours of blackcurrant, chocolate, aniseed, plum and mint finish with long tannins. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the wine should peak around 2007.

As we were leaving, John noticed a paddock of very cute deer and said "at least if the wine business doesn't go well, they won't go hungry." And with that, it was time for the drive back to McLaren Vale. To put things in perspective, if we had driven 15 minutes in the other direction, we would have been in the heart of the Barossa so we had travelled quite a distance; it turned out well over 200 km and that is why there were so few tasting notes today. The distances between wineries are huge, and as the roads between them full of twists and turns, it takes a long time to get anywhere. It took about an hour and a half to get back to Pie King Headquarters. Along the way, I tried hard too feign interest in the meat Pie King's grape growing activities and as much as I tried not to, I eventually dozed off. Hearing his Pieship banging on about his vines is about as exciting as standing there watching them grow.

At the start of the segment, I stated that I had not explored the Adelaide Hills for about 15 years. After having been a passenger in the car all day as it rolled through the twists and turns of the hills, I remember why it took me 15 years to get back there and it may take me that long to visit the region again.

Her Pieship is not just a pretty face, she is full of great ideas  and when we arrived home a "snack" had been prepared for us and a bottle of Seppelt 1993 Show Sparkling Shiraz (which I had left in the cellar ) had been chilled. Sue decided we should have a picnic in the vineyard so the three of us, along with the two dogs who thought they had been invited, trudged up the hill which has a fairly steep incline, to a cleared section between the two paddocks. When we left the house, I was wondering why we didn't take a blanket with us, but when we got there, the answer was obvious. Judging by the table and chairs, picnic snacks and meals up here must be a regular occurrence.

What a beautiful spot! Located high on the hill with a 180° panoramic view of the countryside with the vines laid out below, all there for our enjoyment. It was a cool start to the evening and their Royal Pieship's were dressed for the occasion in appropriate crowns. As I am not Pie Royalty, I did not qualify for a beanie but John did lend me a jacket to ward off the cold.

Sue is almost as good at putting together a cheese plate as John and it was most enjoyable. All five of us had our fair share, and I think the dogs may have had slightly more than theirs. We were having a wonderfully relaxing time until the peace was shattered by a glass being upturned. Sue had knocked her glass over and spilt the last of her wine. For a minute there, I thought that John was going to get down on his hands and knees and fight the dogs for a share of the spilt nectar but the dogs were too quick and beat him to it. They are well trained to enjoy the finer things in life.

As the sun started to fade it was time to head back to the house for a relaxing, quite night in and a home cooked dinner, we certainly didn’t need another big meal or much wine after the previous two nights.

Day Three Sunday – McLaren Vale

The day of rest so to speak; I normally don’t walk my customary six kilometres and I must really have been relaxing as I wasn’t up in time to kick the sparrows out of bed, in fact it was almost seven by the time I woke up.

John volunteered to cook breakfast again so it was another cholesterol nightmare; His Pieship thought bacon and eggs would be a good idea. Most normal people put a light spray, or a dab, of oil in the pan but that’s not good enough for the Pie King! He has to make sure it well and truly oiled. The bacon went in and was bubbling away in a sea of oil when John went to retrieve the eggs from the large stack that was collected from the chook house the previous day. Curses and four letter words were rapidly forthcoming. Her Pieship, in a fit of generosity (or possibly to protect John from himself,) had taken all bar two eggs to work with her to give to her fellow workers. John was not impressed and told Hosanna that if she wanted any breakfast, she had better hustle out to the chook shed and find some googies. Hosanna arrived back triumphant a few minutes later with four eggs, the Gods were being kind and Hosanna would get to have breakfast after all.

Most people I know pour off the excess bacon fat prior to frying the eggs but that’s for cholesterol wimps, not our cholesterol junkie. The meal was certainly tasty, but after breakfast, I made a diary note to call my GP to arrange a heart and artery check as soon as I got home.

I had already consumed two cups of espresso so my caffeine level was back to normal and I was feeling good. Not many wineries open in McLaren Vale prior to 11 am on Sundays but I had managed to find a few listed. The first winery on the list was meant to be in the main street but it was so exclusive we could not locate it. The second winery selected, according to my reading of James Halliday's book, was meant to open at 10 a.m. but when we got there the sign said 11. (It pays to read the fine print closely.  ) So there we were, like a couple of derro’s driving round McLaren Vale looking for an early opener when we found Beresford Wines who were opening before their published 11 a.m. Actually, they hadn't planned to open early, we just followed a staff member as they walked in and made ourselves right at home. As we walked in, we were greeted by a very friendly young lady and an even friendlier black cat that seemed like he owned the place. In a very clever play on words, the puss is named Geoffrey Boycat which will mean something to those that are into cricket. Dear old Geoffrey is reported to be 18 years old and although he acts like he owns the place he was only visiting Beresford. The next day, I found out the true story. Geoffrey is actually owned by Wayne Thomas who has his winery directly behind the Beresford cellar door facility. In typical pussycat fashion, Geoffrey decides where he wants to go and what he wants to do, which in this case, means he runs the meeting and greeting service in both establishments.

     The Pie King Bridge Vineyards

Featuring the Pie King and his Queen 

The Pie King’s High Tech Canopy Management Technique………………………..

In both cases; HELP required!

Step Road 2001 Sangiovese sells for $18 at cellar door. Spice/white pepper, liquid smoke and liquorice aromas flow through to the palate as light prune, spice and liquorice flavours. A well-balanced wine of almost lean body weight, the consistency is soft, the structure seamless and the complexity harmonious making this is an easy drinking wine, where nothing stands out, but unfortunately it does not hold much interest. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Step Road 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $20 at cellar door and comes from Langhorne Creek fruit. The bouquet is "soft and well fruited" with intense berry and loads of dusty notes. Intensely savoury with blackberry, blackcurrant and a little prune, the wine finishes with dusty, drying tannins and seems to be made from a combination of ripe and some slightly under ripe fruit. Ample-weight, the consistency is soft, the structure is open with a good mouth feel and easy drinking nature. There is nothing wrong with the wine, but I found it boring. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value, it may improve in the short term.

Step Road 2002 Shiraz sells for $20 at cellar door. The freshly opened bottle which was checked by the staff was corked so a second bottle was opened. The bouquet was brooding and black. Sweet on the uptake, the mid palate was savoury and finished both dry and savoury with good intensity of blackberry and liquorice. Unobtrusive, smooth tannins provided the necessary backbone and were well judged to the pure fruit. Ample-weight, the wine has a supple consistency and an agreeable, harmonious complexity which makes it “easy drinking” and a good bistro choice. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, it'll be best consumed over the next four years.

Beresford 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $25 at cellar door and is sourced from McLaren Vale fruit. The open bottle was corked. The smooth, intense nose is not exactly varietal but ripe and fruit driven. Blackberry, aniseed, iodine and mint flavours are pushing "the ripeness envelope" and the abundant, ultra-smooth, dusty tannins finish dry. Ample-weight, the consistency is supple, the structure solid with an agreeable complexity; it is very easy drinking and falls into the "nice dry red category" rather than a varietal Cabernet. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, it is ready to drink now.

Beresford 2002 Shiraz sells for $25. Pepper, plum, dusty oak, spice and coconut aromas lead to a savoury uptake on the palate with spice, liquorice, dark chocolate and prune that delivers excellent power and intensity for its weight. Smooth, powdery tannins are well controlled but there are enough of them to support the obvious, medium-weight fruit. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, it is a reasonable wine for the price and there could be some short-term improvement.

Highwood 2002 Shiraz sells for $15 and is from Beresford's entry-level range. Ripe plum, prune, blackberry, and soy flavours finish with sappy tannins. Medium-weight with a soft consistency and a simple complexity, there is nothing wrong with the quaffing level, easy drinking wine. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

The delightfully friendly young lady behind the counter (unfortunately I didn't get her name) is a positive attribute in this establishment and would be good for business. She may not be great at picking corked wine but is extremely personable and seems to know the rest of her stuff.

Normally, when I go to one of the Southcorp owned wineries I make an appointment but on this trip decided to call in on spec to see what they had available for tasting. It was not long after 11, and judging by the crowd, the masses still think, Rosemount is “the in place.”

..The Secret Behind Drew Noon’s Great Fruit!

Rosemount 2001 GSM sells for $25.50 at cellar door. As well as the usual McLaren Vale fruit, this vintage has Barossa and Langhorne Creek fruit as well. A ripe, fruit driven nose indicates it will be a soft, easy-drinking, fruit driven wine with good complexity. On the palate, it is very ripe and shows plum, chocolate, blackberry, liquorice and a touch of mint; the sweet palate is off-set with a savoury undercurrent. Ample-weight, the consistency is supple, the structure solid and the complexity harmonious which makes this an easy drinking wine that just glides down. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Rosemont 2002 Traditional sells for $25.50 at cellar door and although this winery seems to have professional staff, this bottle was clearly corked and had slipped under the radar. When I asked a member of staff (not the cellar door manager who was busy at the time) to check the wine she thought it was fine (but was happy to open another bottle to humour me.) As soon as the two were compared side-by-side, the cork taint was obvious to her. The bouquet of this wine was dusty with ripe fruit, vanilla and peat moss. Lively, fresh, ripe fruit produced blackcurrant, mulberry, aniseed, and milk chocolate with lots of mint that finished dry with reasonable persistence. Ample-weight, the smooth tannins provide a solid structural backing and the wine has a well-developed complexity. A very nice wine, it is rated as Recommended with *** for value with room for improvement as it reaches maturity around 2007 plus.

Rosemount 2002 Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $25 90 at cellar door. This wine has real Cabernet characteristics and although it's very easy drinking, don't let that fool you, the structure is there and it is well-balanced with loads of fine, dusty drying tannins which provide a solid structure and supple consistency for this ample-weight drop. Prominent milk chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, mint and almost prune spectrum black fruit is pushing the ripeness envelope. It has being built to drink now but may improve in the short term and is rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Rosemount 2000 Balmoral sells for $55 at cellar door. One sniff of this wine was enough to know that it was badly oxidised. When I pointed it out to the cellar door manager, he agreed with the assessment and informed me that the wine had only been opened the previous afternoon. He then added, "We had the same trouble with that last weekend." It was said with innocence and almost amazement. (That's cork for you!) The bouquet indicates a ripe, black, smooth nose of an early drinking, easy red but it does appear to have some structural elements too. Smooth, velvety drying tannins, balanced acid and distinct fruit produced an ample-weight wine with a good mouth feel, supple consistency and solid structure. Blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, aniseed, and chocolate flavours are very ripe but there are some savoury, unripe characters on the mid-palate. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value, it is ready to drink now. John's comment on this wine was, "It's pushing for the populist market."

Clearly, the 2002 wines are pushing ripeness envelope and even the Balmoral is falling into this category. The mouth feel is becoming more user-friendly and the wines have been designed to be consumed in their youth, which is just as well, because wines that pushed the ripeness envelope will not cellar, and certainly will not improve.

Whilst I was finishing off at Rosemount, the Pie King went outside to check the vines and ring her Pieship. When I came out he said, "I wanted to cook up a storm tonight but I'm not allowed to; Sue has decided she wants a steak so steak is all I will be allowed to cook." At least the Pie King knows who is in charge of the household!

At this stage of the morning, no doubt much to the relief of the growers, the sun is out and the temperature is starting to climb. This is the first time since I've arrived that we have experienced anything like a typical McLaren Vale summers day.

John wanted to try the Shingleback range, some of which is available for tasting at the Visitors Information Centre so that was where we headed next. As we drove into the VIC parking area, there was a veritable “car lot” of old Porsche cars in mint condition. His Pieship could not wait to get out and take a look at them. Talk about disgusting, looking at those cars had him slobbering and drooling more than my Newfoundland when he is looking at a dinosaur (cow leg) bone.

I had tried all their current and upcoming releases last year (see Chapter One of the 2004 Tour Diaries) but went along for the ride anyway. John was most impressed with the wines, as he should have been.

The house at Pie King Bridge Estate is a little small and requires some renovation and expansion. John has told Sue that turning the garage into a larger bedroom will provide space for Hosanna to study and play music. However, he told me that the real reason they are having it done is to have another spare room available so Brian, (aka Red Bigot) will have a place to stay when he starts joining me on my trips. Brian is retiring at the end of March and John was delighted to tell me the room will be ready for Brian by the time we come back in the first week of May.

The builder was starting work this weekend, so John had to go home to supervise. Damn, and there I was just about to suggest we have a meat pie for lunch and he pikes out on me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I had heard some good things about Tapestry and decided to call there next. This winery has its annals in the history of Chapel Hill. When Gerard Industries sold their share of Chapel Hill they were paid a handsome price for the privilege and eventually bought Tapestry. Every aspect of the winery shows attention to detail and a certain class and taste.

Over the last 50 years, although a succession of famous names has been associated with it, the winery has had a number of owners and a fairly chequered history. The names include Krondorf, Grant Burge and most recently Brian Light who sold it to Gerard Industries.

Tapestry 2001 Shiraz sells for $?? at cellar door. A clean, soft, ripe black nose delivers flavours of blackberry, liquorice, coffee and a touch of mint on the tail which shows stewed characteristics on the finish. The wine has a soft consistency, a seamless structure and a harmonious complexity so there is no surprise that it is ready to be drunk now. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Whilst looking at their web site for the price of this wine, I saw the wineries tasting note, which in part says, "The palate is full bodied and mouth-filling with sweet berry fruit, chocolate and spice. This wine is drinking well now, but with patience will peak in 2010.”

2010? I wouldn't bet on it! By then, I am willing to bet it will be passed its peak and going leathery.

Tapestry 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $20 at cellar door. The bouquet is clean and lifted, almost to the point of VA and shows reasonable varietal Cabernet definition. Off-sweet on the uptake with an underlying layer of ripe, stewed fruit, varietal flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, mint and milk chocolate are all there. Ample-weight with a supple consistency, solid structure and an agreeable complexity it is a nice wine, better than the Shiraz, but the stewed fruit will be seen as a detraction by purists. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Tapestry 2002 The Vincent Reserve sells for $45 at cellar door. The wine had an unusual oak regime with eighteen months in American followed by six months in older French oak. The bottle had just been opened and whilst the nose was dumb, the quality was obvious and it revealed glimpses of blackcurrant, vanilla and coffee. A well-balanced and constructed, tight wine that was determined not to reveal its charms; those patient enough to cellar the wine will be highly rewarded. Intensely savoury with blackcurrant, aniseed, spice and chocolate; the wine is medium in weight with a firm consistency and a tight, solid, layered structure and well-developed complexity. A classy wine, it is rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value with room for improvement as the wine matures around 2009 and beyond.

Tapestry 2000 XV Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $40 at cellar door. Typical McLaren Vale bottle stink blew off to reveal a wine of excellent complexity although it needed time in the glass to show its true colours. Powdery tannins, refreshing acid and distinct fruit combine to form a well built, solid wine of ample-weight with a well developed complexity. An interesting flavour profile; it is a true varietal Cabernet with blackcurrant, milk chocolate, a touch of prune/plum with some green spearmint character and flavour in the mid-palate. The wine finishes dry with reasonable power for its weight and is a good result for the vintage. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it should peak around 2008.

This is clearly a winery that pays close attention to detail and is trying to do everything right. The staff looks like they have received some education and at least know a little about the wine they are serving. When I asked to try The Vincent a new bottle was opened and the same thing happened when I asked to try the XV Cabernet Sauvignon. In discussion with the staff member, I was informed all bottles of red were opened fresh every day say they will show their best and not be oxidised. Bloody well done Tapestry! There should be more of it.

With that, it was lunchtime and as I didn't have the Pie King to contend with, a healthy lunch was not at issue. At the end of the block just before the shopping complex there is a very good eat-in/take- away nosherie that has all manner of goodies, some of which won't kill you with cholesterol. I had a turkey and salad baguette to eat there which was excellent, and a black coffee which was a weak as dishwater. As I was relaxing and sitting there planning my afternoon's activities, I noticed a delightful tea towel titled “Why Worry” that summed up the meaning of life perfectly.

After lunch, I got into my car and drove south down the main street of McLaren Vale. As soon as I rounded the bend at the end of the town, there was a breathalyser waiting for me.

I blew zero and was allowed to go on my way. What is interesting here is the procedure in SA. In New South Wales before being breathalysed, you are asked if you have been drinking and if you respond in a positive fashion, you are then asked how long ago you had your last drink. If it is less than 20 minutes, you are told to park on the side of the road. You are breathalysed when an elapsed time of 20 minutes since your last drink is up. The reason for this is simple, if it is less than 20 minutes, you have residual mouth alcohol which will give a totally false reading. Obviously they don't worry about that in South Australia. If I had been breathalyser straight after I came out of Tapestry, the residual mouth alcohol would have blown the machine off the face of the planet and yet my real blood alcohol level would still have been zero.

Hamilton is a winery that I haven't been to for some time so I was looking forward to the visit. When I arrived at the winery, I was greeted by a keen, enthusiastic, fresh-faced young lady, who admitted she had recently been hired. She was like a sponge, wanting to absorb as much information and knowledge as possible. As it was a quiet, slow afternoon, I spent a reasonable amount of time there and tasted the wines in a very relaxed fashion. In fact, the whole time I was there only two other couples came in and one of them was in and out in about five minutes.

Hamilton 2002 Hut Block Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $19 at cellar door. An inky the black nose, it is not exactly varietal. On the palate, the wine was lighter than expected. Green flavours on the uptake with a green under layer on the mid-palate which was overlaid by blackberry fruit that finished to prune; a classic combination of over and under ripe fruit. Medium-weight, the consistency is firm and the structure solid, and whilst the wine is okay for the price, there are better 2002 Cabernets around. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

Hamilton 2002 Gumprs Shiraz sells for $19 at cellar door. The first sniff of this wine was not pleasant, it was oxidised and when I asked how long it had been opened, I was informed three days ago. The fresh bottle had a smooth style; it showed sweet blackberry fruit with musk stick, chocolate, coffee and there was a touch of green too. With enough tannin to hold the wine together, fresh acid and obvious fruit, this medium-weight wine came across as a better drop than the Cabernet Sauvignon. Blackberry, coffee, chocolate and loads of green through the palate produced a plain complexity and the wine is rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

The young lady serving the wine had been told she had to ask people what they thought of the wine and as she got to know me, she opened up and was delightfully frank. She said, "If somebody says that's a nice wine once more I am going to scream!" As a result, through the rest of my trip, when ever anyone asked me what I thought of a wine, that comments came back to me, brought a smile to my face and made me really think about a more appropriate answer.

I must admit, I thought the previous two wines were stylistically very similar and disappointing. Trying to do the job properly, our friendly server asked the other couples there what they thought of the first two wines. The response was most interesting. "They both taste the same” was the answer she received, so it was not just me.

Hamilton 2001 Burtons Grenache Shiraz sells for $30 at cellar door. This bottle was also oxidised so a second bottle was opened, checked and a measure poured into a fresh glass. This was creating a problem! It was clearly corked. After much amiable discussion where the two glasses were compared, a third bottle was opened and after we completed a short course in wine faults 101, I had a chance to have a good look at it. The third bottle showed spice, dark berry fruit and chocolate on the bouquet. Distinct, strong fruit delivers spice, black pepper, blackberry, chocolate and coffee essence which finishes with abundant drying tannins. There is nothing subtle about this wine, and equally, it has no NutraSweet lolly characteristics and is a pretty serious blend. Muscular-weight, the consistency is firm, the structure solid and the complexity is well developed; all this needs is a bit more time in the bottle. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating may go up as the wine matures in about three years time.

Hamilton 2001 Centurion Shiraz sells for $50 at cellar door. This is a cerebral wine that needs thought to appreciate its character. There is nothing sweet about the attack but the underlying sweet flavour is attractive; with red berry fruit, blackberry, black plum and coffee, it finishes with good length and excellent persistence. Ample-weight, the consistency is firm and the structure rock solid but tight. Tannins bury the fruit a little at the moment but by 2009 that should not be an issue. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value, the rating may go up as the wine matures.

I walked out of this winery with mixed feelings. The low end wines were disappointing and whilst the Centurion was good, the value was not. This winery has now taken over Leconfield so it will be certainly interesting to watch and see what happens.

Talking about a well-planned itinerary (not!) I headed back up the road past where I had been breathalysed, past the nosh shop and turned left into the driveway of Maxwell Wines, which is fifty yards down the road from Tapestry where I had been tasting before lunch. Maxwell has a reputation for providing good, consistent, honest, varietal wines at a reasonable price and their Cabernet is one of the better examples of this variety in McLaren Vale. I was also on a mission here.

My old burgundy-coloured (Maxwell) polo shirt, which is one of my favourite shirts to wear to work, whilst in good condition had become a little large for me over the last two years and I wanted to buy two new ones. I walked into the winery, had a look at the available merchandise and mumble, mumble, mumble, and "lots of four letter words" later - my size was not there! I inquired at the counter and was informed they were out of stock so decided to try the wines instead. Business was thriving in this place with lunch sales, a number of people trying the wines and even some cellar door purchases happening; I found a little cranny at the end of a very busy bar.

Maxwell 2002 Cabernet Merlot is sealed in Stelvin and sells for $16 at cellar door. The bouquet was a little volatile and showed lifted alcohol but that may have been more a factor of the temperature in cellar door than a characteristic of the wine, it showed ripe blackcurrant, dusty oak and mint. Ripe, intense fruit delivers a great bang for the buck, with coffee, blackcurrant, milk chocolate and mint. Ample-weight with a soft consistency, an open structure and an agreeable complexity this is an easy drinking wine that is ready to be drunk now and is rated as Recommended with **** for value.

Maxwell 2002 Four Roads sells for $16 at cellar door and is an unusual blend of 81% Shiraz, 14% Grenache and 5% Viognier. One sniff of this wine, with its overt apricot character and charry oak was enough for me to ask for a clean glass. Not my cup of tea, but then I'd hate tea too.

Maxwell 2002 Ellen Street Shiraz sells for $28 at cellar door. A seriously inky nose, with iodine and liquorice, it delivers spice, stacks of black pepper, liquorish, blackberry and plum flavours that finishes with good length. The wine has big power for its ample-weight. The silky tannins combine with pure, deep, strong fruit to deliver a soft consistency, a solid structure and a well-developed complexity that is drinking well now, but will hold for some time. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value.

Maxwell 2002 Lime Cave Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $28 at cellar door. The bouquet is varietal with dusty oak tannins over bright, ripe fruit. On the uptake, an immediate hit of intensely ripe fruit is off-set by bracing acidity that flows through the whole palate with controlled, long tannins. The deeply-seated fruit delivers blackberry, blackcurrant, aniseed, chocolate and spearmint that is both intensely ripe and intensely Cabernet. Dusty, drying tannins provide a solid backbone for this, a serious wine that is a veritable baby and years off its best. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it will be long lived, and should looked at again in 2010.

Whilst I tasted the Lime Cave, Mark Maxwell came out to see what was happening in cellar door and helped clear the backlog of customers. He saw my card on the counter and came over for a chat. A very amiable, easy-going guy, he is no fool. I had to respect the fact, that in a friendly but direct way, he probed my credibility by asking some rather pointed questions. That was fine by me, and after he was satisfied that I wasn't a complete idiot, he opened up and as we chatted, Mark took me for a brief tour of the winery.

I bet many people don't know the Lime Cave Cabernet Sauvignon is actually named after the lime cave, or tunnel that has been excavated into the limestone next to the winery. The winemaking philosophy is to let the fruit speak; use a minimal amounts of new oak and to be as gentle with the juice as possible. There is also a deliberate intention to gain intensity of flavour without developing jammy characteristics or excessive weight in the wine. Based on the wines I tasted, they are achieving these objectives admirably whilst providing excellent value for money. This is a winery that just keeps ticking over quietly without any great fanfare and provides consistently good wines year in and year out.

Whilst I was there, I was able to try the first 2005 wine this winery has produced. Indeed, it would have been one of the first 2005’s in this area. Unfortunately, and expectedly, it was a c-through; a Verdhello that was intensely honeyed, with floral highlights and significant pear flavour.

I happen to mention my disappointment in the lack of polo shirts in my size and Mark told me they were due in the following week. I handed over my credit card and ordered two; primary mission for this visit accomplished, and as an added bonus, I tasted the wines too.

It had probably been about four or five years since the Pie King had taken me to Pertaringa, and I vividly remember, I did not like the wines on that visit but as things change, and I may have struck an off vintage; it was time for a fresh look at the place. Judging by the positive press that I had seen on these wines, I walked in with an open attitude. The winery is jointly owned by Geoff Hardy and Ian Leask who purchased existing vineyards in 1981.

Pertaringa 2001 Rifle and Hunt Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $30 at cellar door. VA; compost mushroom oak characters dominated the ripe, dark blackberry and mint aromas. The intensely sweet hit of berry fruit was offset with bracing acidity. Strong, deep fruit delivers blackberry, blackcurrant, mint, coffee dark chocolate and aniseed flavours. Smooth tannins provide a soft consistency and the wine has a seamless structure and well developed harmonious complexity. A nice, “big red” but not exactly varietal, it is an easy drinking, upmarket crowd pleaser, and one that I'm sure Robert Parker followers would enjoy. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Pertaringa 2003 Undercover Shiraz sells for $20 at cellar door. And inky black wine, the nose was so muted that if it wasn't sealed under Stelvin, I would have thought it was corked. The structure has smooth tannins, lively acidity and deep fruit. Ultra-ripe fruit flavours of blackberry, liquorish, prune and coffee (similar to the Cabernet Sauvignon) are cut through with bracing acidity and just about manage to cover the significant quantity of charry oak. Muscular-weight, the consistency is soft, the complexity agreeable and the layered structure combine to produce a love it or hate it style. I stood there pondering this wine for some time, and frankly, I failed to “get it”! Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Pertaringa 2003 Over the Top Shiraz sells for $30 at cellar door. The bouquet has charry oak over blackberry. Silky tannins and deep, persistent fruit produced a seductive mouth feel and deliver a sweet hit of blackberry fruit with palate pounding charry oak flavour and (nice) plum which is cut through by bracing acidity. As I stood there trying to figure this wine out, after having decided I don't like the style and found it simply horrid, I looked at the bottle and saw that Ben Riggs was the wine maker. It certainly has “formula Ben Riggs winemaking style” stamped all over it and clearly, it is a style, that generally speaking, I simply do not enjoy and find a great deal of difficulty being objective about so I will not rate it.

Pertaringa N/V Liquored Full Fronti sells for $18 at cellar door for a 500 ml bottle. A lifted, spirity nose showing honeyed, raisin characters. The fruit is medium in weight, the acid flaccid and overall the wine is in the sickly sweet spectrum. A muscular-weight wine with a soft consistency, simple complexity and medium length finish of butterscotch, alcohol and honey that lingers with respectability, it is not a great wine by any stretch of the imagination and is rated as Acceptable with ** for value.

Nature called, and it was time to use the facilities. After following a slightly tortuous path around the side of the building to the back, I came across with what look like a converted rainwater tank with the sign “Toilets” (plural) on the door, and after some not so careful investigation, double check the sign as there was definitely only one. How they got this through the council was beyond me. The ambient outside temperature was warm, but not hot, however, the temperature inside the convenience would dictate no one would spend longer in there than was humanly possible. Undoubtedly designed by an accountant with no thought for human comfort in mind, it is one of the more unusual “inconveniences” found in my winery travels.

With time for one more winery, and wishing to end the day on a positive note, I headed to Hugo Wines for my second ever visit. A family owned property, the first of the 75 acres of grapes were planted in about 1950. In the early 1980s, when John Hugo had finished his studies and returned home, a change in direction took place. Instead of selling the grapes, he decided to make wine, and as they say in the classics, the rest is history. The current cellar door opened in 1998.

Hugo 2002 Shiraz sells for $18 at cellar door and was matured in a combination of both American and French oak. Plum, spice, a slight chart to the oak, a little herbal influence and spearmint are found on the bouquet and are faithfully reproduced on the palate. Thankfully, the char is not obnoxious or intrusive. There are enough smooth, unobtrusive tannins to hold the wine together and they are well matched to the obvious fruit producing a clean, well-made and well-balanced wine of ample-weight with a supple consistency and a well developed complexity. Worth buying, it is rated as Recommended with **** for value and will best be consumed over the next three years.

...Beautiful Scenery can be found off the main track in McLaren Vale

Hugo 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $18 at cellar door and was matured in French oak. An honest, varietal wine showing dusty notes, ripe blackberry and mint; a joy to sniff. Abundant, but well controlled, smooth, dusty tannins combine with fresh acid to produce a solid wine with a supple consistency and an attractive mouth feel. Muscular in weight, the palate shows savoury blackcurrant, liquorice and mint. Rated as Recommended with **** for value the rating may go up as the wine reaches its maturity around 2009 and it is a damn good wine for the price.

Hugo 2001 Reserve Shiraz sells for $33 at cellar door. The source of fruit is 40 year old vines and the wine was matured in both American and French oak for 18 months. The bouquet exhibited VA; but it is serious, closed and classy with nothing sticking out. I wish I had the opportunity to try this after it had been sitting on the glass for an hour. Unobtrusive, tightly-grained, smooth tannins and pure, deep fruit are an excellent foil for each other and produce a wonderfully balanced, ample-weight wine with a supple consistency, an elegant structure and well developed complexity. Red berry fruit, blackberry, liquorice and a touch of spice pack a big punch for its weight. With some class, this is as good as many $50 wines and is rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value; it should peak around 2007.

My thoughts after this visit were exactly the same as they were on my previous visit. There is nothing flash or contrived about the wines; they are well-made and stylistically consistent. The all-important "value for money" consideration has been addressed admirably with all three wines getting ****.

With that, it was back in the car for the short drive up the hill to Pie King Bridge Vineyard to see what mischief his nibs had been up to; with “up to” being the operative words. No good I suspected! When I arrived, the whole family was "up to" something all right; up to holding the new ceiling up; now that is not something you see every day. Well blow me down, when I get there a couple of days ago, the garage looked like a garage and now it was starting to look like a normal room. A huge amount of progress had been made in a very small time. What was even more amazing, it had been completed whilst John was helping.  I must admit, I was surely tempted to see if he was ticklish in his defenceless position.

Too many cooks spoil the broth and as I didn't want to eat soup anyway, let alone hold up the ceiling, I went outside to check out their mulberry tree. After a lovely snack of delicious berries, I ambled back into the house, and without thinking, didn't take my shoes off. After having trudged through an undergrowth of dropped mulberries, the soles of my shoes were the same colour as my tongue which was approximately the same colour as Sues face when she saw my delicate size 14 tracks through the carpet.

Sue was very understanding, but then she has had years of practice with his Pieship, and I got away with a “painted on smile” that would been wonderfully graceful had I not picked up the quiet mutterings of four letter words under her breath as she sprayed carpet cleaner onto the defiled areas.

In order to get myself out of the hot excrement, I volunteered to drive Hosanna to church. Had I have known about the twists and turns and the distance involved, the hot excrement would have looked very attractive. Hosanna is a delightful young lady, but not having children of my own, it was extremely difficult for me to engage in communication with a teenager but that is exactly what I had to do during the 25 minutes drive. A visit to my periodontist, or possibly even a proctologist would have probably been less painful.

By the time I arrived back, work on the renovations had ceased and thank God, it was time for a drink. As it was only February, it was not time for my annual beer, so I had a vodka and orange instead. John made good on his threat to cook dinner and under strict instruction and supervision, managed not to cremate my steak, something he managed to achieve handsomely with the vegetables. Now I know why John doesn't like vegies and normally refuses to eat them.

After watching Foyle’s War, it was time for an early night for tomorrow was another day of wine tasting, and one I was particularly looking forward to. To find out why, you'll have to read the next chapter.

To be continued.....

Chapter Three can be found here

Click here for Chapter One

Copyright © Ric Einstein 2005