The May 2005 South Australian Tour Diaries

Click here for Chapter One

Chapter Two – Saturday and Sunday - Coonawarra

Whenever the name Coonawarra is mentioned it evokes a warm glow and many positive memories to wine lovers, especially those that appreciate good Cabernet Sauvignon. If you knew nothing about Australian wine and ordered, for example a $30 McLaren Vale Shiraz, there is a reasonably good chance the wine would be good. However, if you ordered a $30 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, there is an excellent chance the wine would be very good. It is this consistency, as well as value for money that makes this area so attractive to wine lovers. It certainly has nothing to do with the scenic geography (sic) of the area.

Although Coonawarra is a four to five-hour drive from McLaren Vale along some of the most boring roads in the country, I never mind the trip as the rewards are worth the effort. In order to make the most of the day, we had decided to leave at around 6 a.m. At 4.50 am I staggered out of bed and went into the lounge room with the intention of checking my e-mail. I recklessly turned on the lounge room light and received a rather large shock (bad pun intended.) I had totally forgotten that as the renovations had not been completed, the lounge was being used as a bedroom; there was a body sleeping on a mattress on the floor and it was not a pretty sight. The muttered curses and assorted four letter words that questioned the source of my parentage indicated that John was not particularly impressed with my nocturnal habits.

I turned out the light and went back to my bedroom to quietly read a book, then showered and woke his Pieship up at a more appropriate time. When his Pieship finally crawled out of the cot, it was blindingly evident he was in a "delicate state." The excuse given was that he had to stay up until midnight so that you could pick up Hosanna after she had finished her performance in the school musical. According to John, the fact that Sue stayed up to keep him company, and did the driving because he had consumed the odd glass of wine or seven, had nothing to do with the way he felt this morning. Given his perilous and delicate state, it was decided that I should do the driving.

The first stage of the trip through the back roads to the freeway is full of twists and windy turns and as John was sitting next to me, I took those twists and turns at a very gentle pace; the colour of his complexion resembled the light metallic green colour of his new car.

It was still dark when we left Blewitt Springs. The first stop was at the service station at Mount Barker, not for petrol, John demanded a pit stop so he could stock up on bottled water and Coca-Cola. Brian decided that he needed a packet of Twisties for a pre-breakfast snack. From there on it was an easy run down the freeway until the sun poked its head above the horizon and was inconsiderate enough to point straight into my face.

The first real stop was for breakfast at the Shell service station at Tailem Bend  and surprise surprise, John didn't have a meat pie for breakfast; he really must be sick! Instead, he had a halfway healthy sandwich (which tasted like crap, I had one too.). Speaking about being sick, I am becoming increasingly concerned about Brian; he had a sausage roll for breakfast (it was better than the sandwich!). The coffee in this place was undrinkable; even the cappuccino was dispensed from an automatic machine so we weren't going to go there; I opted for bottled water, Brian got his hit of caffeine from a Pepsi Max and John went for a Red Bull energy/caffeine drink.

Naracoorte Police Station is a work of art – literally! 

We made excellent time and reached Naracoorte in time for play-lunch. The Pie King really must be in a bad way, at the local bakery (where he thoroughly enjoyed a pie on our last trip,) he elected to have a toasted ham cheese and tomato sandwich instead. Brian is proving to be even more of a concern, he went for a meat pie; it looks like “Pie King Disease” could be infectious. I opted for a muffin which was most enjoyable. The coffee from this bakery was eminently drinkable so Brian and I walked out feeling good.

Clearly forty winks in the car and play-lunch had worked its magic, John was in a much better frame of mind by this time and even regaled us with some of his philosophy on the next leg of our journey. John said, "Sue and I intend to write a book which will be called ‘The Hands-off Approach to Parenting’ because something we did must have gone right. When Hosanna was a baby, all our friends who had young children were reading books; Doctor Spock and the like, but we believed that children don't come with a manual. So ‘The Hands off Approach to Parenting’ would be a good book for those who don't believe in using books for parenting.”

……              … Penola Pub Motel – John love it!

As we had had a very good run and were ahead of time, Brian suggested we stop in at the Stonehaven cellar door. Whilst it was a good idea, we arrived there about a quarter of an hour before it opened, so continued to tootle on down the road. As we had spare time before our first appointment, we decided to check John in at his motel. For some perverse reason, his Pieship likes staying in pubs, the smokier, the grottier and noisier the better so John lashed out and spent $43 for room at the Penola pub. Brian and I had already pre-booked a couple of rooms at a brand new motel called the Alexander Cameron Motel at the far end of the main street.

Originally the plan was for Steve Norman (aka 707) to joining us and we were going to eat dinner at Red Fingers, which is owned and operated by, to quote John, “Steve’s main squeeze”. Unfortunately Steve had to cancel at the last moment so we decided to eat in town. Steve's recommendation was to try Pipers of Penola. Although the sign outside the restaurant said no BYO on Friday or Saturday night, when we made the reservation and explained we had a few special bottles of wine, they were prepared to let us BYO. So, with our motel rooms booked and dinner arranged, we were ready for our 12 o'clock appointment at Balnaves.

It had taken a fair amount of negotiation to line up this appointment as in theory this was meant to be their first weekend off in ages, as everyone had been working seven days a week during vintage. So a special vote of thanks is due to Doug Balnaves for agreeing to meet with us. I had tried a number of their current releases at Wine Australia last November, but was keen to try the rest.

Balnaves Sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $28 at cellar door. Whilst I have tried this wine in the past, I can honestly say it's never been one of my favourites; indeed it has not been a wine that I have particularly enjoyed. The current wine (2005 release) is a blend of eight vintages going back to 1995. The bouquet is dominated by ripe blackberry and mint which is expressed on the palate as sweet blackberry, blackcurrant, aniseed, chocolate with an off-sweet under layer. The wine is not overly sweet and is good value at the price point. It finished with good persistence and is better than the previous efforts. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Balnaves 2002 The Blend sells for $19 at cellar door. Plum and musky Merlot characters combine with leafy undertones and perfumed fruit; on the palate the uptake is pleasant with sweet blackcurrant and ripe chocolate leading to a sappy, tart mid palate and drying finish. Medium-weight with a supple consistency, solid structure and an agreeable complexity; the previous vintage was better. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value, the wine should peak in about 2006 and beyond.

Balnaves 2001 Cabernet Merlot sells for $24 at cellar door. Although the wine appears to be fruit driven, the fine tannins provide excellent backbone. Whilst there is nothing simple about this wine, with its ripe black and blue fruit flavours, it will please any crowd. It is a good wine, with excellent palate intensity and great value. Medium-weight with a supple consistency and a harmonious complexity, it is rated as Recommended with **** for value.

Whilst we were tasting this wine, Doug Balnaves came out with a classic line that is worth repeating. "A wine is mature when the tastes better than it smells."

I have been fortunate enough to try The Tally 2001 on a couple of previous occasions and there is no doubting it is one of the best wines to come out of Coonawarra for some time. On this occasion, we were fortunate enough to be able to try the 2000 and 2001 side-by-side.

Balnaves 2000 The Tally is sold out but there are a few odd bottles floating around various retailers. The wine had been opened the previous night but it was still brooding; intense blackberry, blackcurrant, mint, and smoky vanillin French oak characters were evident. Muscular-weight with a firm consistency, and excellent complexity, this wine will be fantastic with time. A classy wine with savoury blackberry, black chocolate and a minty finish which is long and has excellent persistence; (it's softer than the 2001.) Rated as Excellent with *** for value, it should start to peak around 2007 and beyond.

Balnaves 2001 The Tally sells for $80 at cellar door. The bouquet is more intense than the 2000 wine and whilst it is stylistically similar, this wine shows higher fruit quality. Fine, drying, dusty tannins provide a solid backbone for this full-bodied, tightly structured, layered wine with a diverse complexity. Sumptuous fruit and supremely balanced, it’s an impressive package. With both sweet and savoury nuances; rich, ripe chocolate, and blackberry flavours finish with fantastic intensity, excellent length and persistence. Rated as Excellent with *** for value, the wine needs ages to soften and gain further complexity but that is not an issue as it should last for about 20 years.

I'm glad to have some in the cellar, but I was silly to only buy three. The next vintage of The Tally will be in 2004; a smart move only producing it in the best vintages.

In summary, from top to bottom Balnaves produces very drinkable wine. They are all well made, honest, reliable and above all consistent. What more could you want? According to Doug, the winery strives for three things; quality, quality and quality. And they are succeeding!

The Balnaves family has been in Coonawarra for a number of generations, originally starting out as farmers and grocers. From the earliest days, they have been in "competition" with another local family who've had a similar background. The rivalry between the Lynn family and the Balnaves family is extremely good-natured. When Doug asked us where we were going next, and we replied Majella, he said "I hope you enjoy their cask (jug) wine.” When we got to Majella and told the Prof. “we were looking forward to trying some of his cask wine” he replied, with a big smile on his face, “and how is Doug?”

Majella is one of those rare wineries that doesn't have customers, it has disciples. There are three main reasons for this rarefied position. Firstly, they make bloody good wine. Secondly, Brian Lynn aka The Prof., is a larger-than-life character that could sell sewage to a sanitary worker when most people would have trouble giving it away; and finally, the base wines represent value. That's a pretty hard combination to beat.

When you walk into the cellar door, it's hard to miss the electric organ which is tastefully displayed below bold, striking artwork. But what is a keyboard doing in the foyer of a winery anyway? In this case, in its own way, it is making a very poignant and significant statement.

We arrived at the appointed hour, 1 pm on Saturday and as the Prof was munching on a mouthful of food when he greeted us; we had obviously disturbed not only his weekend (which he was not pleased about) but his lunch too.  The Prof knows I am a red bigot and to get his own back for having to meet us at such an inconvenient time, shoved a glass of Riesling under my nose, and insisted on my prognosis.

About 18 months ago it was decided that the winery was missing out on a golden opportunity. They were approached by an Asian client who wanted Majella to make a wine they could pour by the glass. In addition, the winery had frequently been approached by clients inquiring about the possibility of a cheaper, entry-level wine which would be perfect for serving at functions. The demand was there, which was a good starting point. In most other wineries, the next obstacle to overcome would be sourcing the fruit, but not in this case. As long time established growers, Majella has access to over 150 acres of it’s own fruit with the youngest vines being over 10 years old, (the oldest were planted in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.) Even though they have disciples, there is a limit to the amount of $30+ wine a winery can sell in a year. Also, some of the fruit, whilst it is still very good quality, may not be quite as good as the grapes going into their existing portfolio of wines; so instead of the going into oak, the excess went into stainless steel tanks and was sold off as bulk wine to other producers.

So, demand was there, the raw ingredients were available, now all they had to do was to make the product that would make it synergise. They decided the name should start with an M, and as a number of the family who are involved in the business were musically inclined, the working project name became Musician. Then, tragically in January, Brian's youngest son Matthew was involved in a hit and run crash and passed away a couple of weeks later. At 20 years of age, Matthew loved his music and was a talented guitarist. It seemed that the Musician name, in honour of Matthew was meant to be, and a new label was born.

Majella 2004 The Musician sells for around the $17-$18 mark at retail. The wine is a blend of Cabernet and Shiraz which has been designed for early drinking. Most of the wine has been matured in stainless steel tanks but a proportion has seen oak; and it is sealed with screw caps. The colour of the wine is fantastic. The bouquet is youthful, fruity and shows reasonable complexity. Deep, obvious fruit drives the wine but there is enough unobtrusive, smooth tannins to provide a soft consistency and hold the wine together. Plum, black berry fruits, mulberry, liquorice, chocolate and a minty/eucalyptus finish harmoniously fills the mouth with lip-smacking flavours.  It's not sophisticated, but it is very drinkable, or to quote the Prof, “it’s the wine-drinkers drinking wine.” Rated as Agreeable (Brian disagrees with my rating and thought it warranted a Recommended) with ***** for value, you can't go past it for a barbecue or a bistro wine. What ever way you look at it; its bloody drinkable!

In many premium wineries you visit today, you are told how the grapes are lovingly hand harvested, basket pressed, gently nurtured and made in an old-fashioned, traditional way. The Prof is bombastic in his exuberance for the modern, no bovine-manure method of winemaking. "We make standard, commercial three-tonne-to-the-acre wine. Machine-pruned, machine-harvested, we make standard commercial Australian wine.”

At this point, the Prof’s son, Peter who had recently joined us and was a chip off the old block; was not exactly backward in coming forward with his comments. “Dad, that's a stupid way to describe it. There is more to it than the pruning technique. Winemaking is all smoke and mirrors. What's important is what works. We machine-prune but our vines are kept in perfect balance.”

Prof Junior - Peter Lynne…………

Brian then went on to tell us that in the late 1970s, as most readers will know, you just about couldn't give red wine away, especially Shiraz. Things were so bad that in one year, they didn't prune half their vines simply because they could not afford to do so. Mechanisation was seen as a salvation. According to the Prof, “It doesn't matter whether you machine-pick or hand-pick; it doesn't matter whether you machine-prune or hand-prune, the vines have to be kept in balance; and if they are, I defy anyone to be able to tell which of these two methods have been used when drinking the finished wine.”

To illustrate the "winemaking is all smoke and mirrors” philosophy as espoused by his son, he told us a brilliant story, but to protect the innocent, I will not name names.

An Australian wine maker was doing a stint in a French winery. “From nine o'clock in the morning until four o'clock in the afternoon we made wine in a very old-fashioned, traditional way. We used barrel fermentation, there was hardly any running water; the cellars were very traditional and tourists would flock through them. From five o'clock until ten o'clock at night and from very early in the morning until nine o'clock, we made the real wine in a gleaming cellar with loads of stainless steel, in a building over the hill behind the trees.” That is probably also the case with a lot of the riddling in Champagne. During the tours, there are little wizened old men furiously twisting bottles by hand but the chances are once the tours are over, the majority of the bottles are riddled by computer-controlled machinery.

But the French are not the only ones to use smoke and mirrors, how about when Ralph Fowler was at Leconfield! According to the Prof, they use to hand pick and hand prune the vines near the road, because that's what people wanted to see, but the rest of it was done by machine.

The 2003 vintage wines (except for the Malleea) will all be sealed in Stelvin and the 2004 Sparkling Shiraz will be sealed with a crown seal. To say that Brian is not a fan of cork and what it does to wine is an understatement.

…You have to admire their sense of humour, Majella doesn’t

………have a TANK FARM, the sign says “HOBBY FARM”

We were lucky enough to be able to try the 2002 and the unreleased 2003 Shiraz and Cabernet side-by-side.

Majella 2003 Shiraz will sell for about $28 at cellar door and will be released around July. Brian (Red Bigot) said “oooh… the fruit leaps up your nose.” The first thing to strike me about the wine was the excellent balance; it also has great power with lovely fruit intensity. A glass-stainer, the fine powdery tannins are chewy; the spicy, black fruit, plum, chocolate and aniseed flavours more-ish. Ample-weight with a supple consistency, a solid and tight structure, the wine is already harmonious. Substantially better than the 2002, anyone who thinks that Coonawarra cannot make Shiraz needs to try this wine as it is certainly worth buying. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it should become approachable in 2006 and beyond.

Majella 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon will sell for about $28 at cellar door and will be released around July. The bouquet is attractive, showing dusty oak, but it is tight and closed. Supremely-focused, pure fruit fills the mouth with minty but ripe chocolate, blackcurrant, cigar box and leafy flavours that are perfectly interwoven with finely-grained, long tannins that finish with excellent persistence. Ample-weight with a solid, tight, almost seamless structure, the complexity is harmonious and well-developed. A classy wine, this is the best Cabernet at this price point that I can remember. Rated as Highly Recommended with ***** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures around 2010 and beyond. According to the Prof, he only thinks “its sensational sex in a bottle” but I think he is being modest.

Whilst the Prof is certainly larger-than-life and his enthusiasm for his wines can obviously influence the taster, all BS and influence aside, their 2003 wines are blindingly good for the price. Miss them at your own peril. And I am certainly not going to tell you all about the 03 barrel samples of the Malleea; you are going to have to wait for the rave reviews of that one when it’s bottled.

The winery is not aiming to set the world on fire; however they do aim to produce consistently high quality wine and are in the business for the long haul. My bet is that they will achieve their objectives.

Now THIS is a TANK FARM – Wynns Coonawarra Estate ………….

It was well past pie o'clock but luckily the troops had been fortified with play-lunch, so for once, they did not give me a hard time about making them wait for their midday victuals. We headed up the road to try out Red Fingers which is located slap bang in the middle of the Coonawarra “shopping centre.” According to my mate 707, who should know about these things, the Wagyu Beef Pie was the go. Unfortunately they took about half an hour to make, and as time was of the essence, we elected to go for something a little simpler that would be quicker to prepare. Brian and I both had an open Moroccan Lamb sandwich which was topped with a tomato, capsicum and yoghurt type dressing. John had his “healthy lunch” which consisted of a bowl of wedgies, naturally enough served with sour cream; I sampled a couple and they were cooked to perfection. Lunch was excellent and we vowed to return the next day so that we could sample the house speciality. We had also arranged to ring up and order them in advance so that we wouldn't have to wait a half an hour for them to be prepared.

Our next appointment was set for 3.30 but as we had about 20 minutes to spare, we decided to head to Brand’s of Coonawarra which is owned by McWilliams. I have been to this winery a few times, and I have tried their wines on a number of other occasions but have never found anything to be particularly impressive. If anything, the visits have been disappointing.

Brand’s 2001 Shiraz sells for $23 at cellar door. The bouquet shows a touch of smoky oak, white pepper, blackberry and sweet fruit. Smooth, drying tannins and fresh acid provide the backbone for this medium-weight wine with a supple consistency, solid structure and agreeable complexity. Ripe fruit, spice, white pepper and blackberry flavours will complement food and this is a “nice wine.” Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Brand’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $23 at cellar door. The nose shows light perfumed fruit, cassis and leafy notes. Smooth tannins, youthful acid and delicate fruit produced a lean wine with a supple consistency and an agreeable complexity. Well-balanced with black olive, blackcurrant, chocolate and mint, it is rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Brand’s 2000 Stentiford’s Reserve Shiraz sells for about $60 a bottle. Lifted blackberry, char and mint are found on the bouquet. Ultra-fine, smooth tannins combine with pure fruit to form a clean wine that would be well-balanced if the lively acid didn't stick out. Blackberry, coffee, and rich chocolate flavours are found in this medium-weight, elegant wine with an agreeable complexity. Rated as Recommended with ** for value, there are far better wines around for the price.

Once again, I walked out of this winery scratching my head wondering how they managed to survive in such a competitive marketplace.

Going back some years, since about the 1996 vintage, I have been openly critical of Wynns (and other SC Coonawarra wines) consistently stating that the quality was dropping. When I interviewed Brian Finn, (the then Chairman of Southcorp,) about two years ago, he agreed with my comments and stated the reasons for the decline were directly related to viticultural issues in the vineyards. Specifically, the vineyards had not been managed as well as they should have been, Southcorp had recognised the problem and were spending millions of dollars in redeveloping and reinvigorating their vineyards in the region. Brian suggested the next time I went to Coonawarra, I should have a close look at what they were doing, so our next appointment was with Allen Jenkins, the Regional Vineyard Manager for the Limestone Coast area. We spent almost two hours crawling through the vineyards and the tour was so interesting and informative that it will be included in a special feature story at the conclusion of the tour diaries.

After a fascinating vineyard tour that was seriously impressive, we were meant to meet with Sue Hodder to taste the Wynns range, but unfortunately at the last minute she became unavailable and we were “stuck” with Greg Clayfield instead. For those that don't know, Greg is the wine maker for Lindemans in Coonawarra. Interestingly enough, on both Allen and Greg's business cards the logos and tag lines for the three regional brands in the group are listed. Penfolds tag line is “Australia's Most Famous Wine”, Rosemount is "The prestige wine of Australia” and Lindemans is "making life more enjoyable.” After having spent time with Greg, one could be excused for thinking that he was personally responsible for the Lindemans tagline; he is a real character that looks like he knows how to well and truly enjoy life.

I will say one thing about Southcorp, when they do something, they do it with complete professionalism. We were taken upstairs into the lab/tasting room where the glasses had been laid out for us and the wines had had time to breathe. Now if you think the standard of glasses provided was a nice touch, the place mats in front of us not only had the names of each wine, but a welcoming message as well. A touch of class! Side-by-side with that touch of class, on a bench behind us, nonchalantly sitting there like they were as important as bottles of Cold Duck were magnums of Wynns 1991 Centenary as well as bottles of the 1955 Michael Hermitage and 1960 Wynns Claret (which has the word Hermitage in small print on the bottom of the label.) Pity they didn’t open these for us too. However what they did open for us was pretty special in its own way.

Although we were there to taste the Wynns range, at one stage I was silly enough to ask Greg a questioned about the Lindemans trio; it is never a good move to offer a brand champion an opportunity to extol the virtues of his product. "He just happened to have” some unreleased bottles of his wines sitting on the back counter and as quick as a greased lightning, he had them open and glasses of his wines plonked (bad pun intended ‘cause they weren’t) in front of us. 

Wynns 2003 Shiraz can be found on the street for between $14-17. I must admit, I didn't expect terribly much from this wine but was pleasantly surprised. Bright, vibrant floral fruit which is rich and spicy on the nose comes across the palate as red cherry, pepper, plum, and chocolate. Fine, powdery, drying tannins combine with deep, pure, strong fruit to form an ample-weight wine with a supple consistency, solid structure and complexity is well developed for the price point. Whilst it is a rich, fruit driven and easy drinking, it is well-balanced, attractive and has an excellent tannin structure as its foundation. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures around 2007 and beyond.

Wynns 2002 Cabernet Shiraz Merlot can be found on the street for about $15. The bouquet exhibits dusty oak, mint, ripe fruit and loads of char which is replicated on the palate with the addition of blackcurrant, blackberry, and chocolate. There seems to be a green edge to the wine and it is firm, on the point of being hard. Rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

Not something you normally see everyday ……….

1955 Michael Hermitage and 1960 Wynns Claret …….

Wynns 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon was being dumped by Southcorp during the Foster's takeover for about $17 a bottle. A typical Cabernet nose with dark fruit, it was reasonably dumb but also showed aniseed. Dusty, puckering tannins currently submerge the deeply seated fruit flavours of blackberry, aniseed, chocolate and mint but considering the persistence, in time the fruit should emerge. Muscular-weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and an agreeable complexity, the wine needs time to show its best and is rated as Recommended with *** for value (based on its RRP) or **** for value based on its current discounted price.

Wynns 2001 Harold Cabernet Sauvignon was still available (limited quantities) at $33 a bottle. This is a single vineyard wine and a one-off. Whilst we were driving around having our vineyard/viticultural tour, we passed the Harold vineyard and it had just been completely renovated; however prior to renovation, the team wanted to make a single vineyard wine from the old vines before it all changed. The bouquet was attractive; ripe blackberry and coffee showed with perfumed fruit. Muscular-weight, the palate is tight but still shows rich and ripe red cherry, chocolate, blackberry, blackcurrant and liquorice that finishes long with good intensity. Dusty, drying tannins combine with pure fruit to produce a firm consistency, solid structure and well-developed complexity; it's a bloody nice wine! Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it should hit straps around 2010. We went back the next day and bought a dozen to split between the three of us.

Wynns 2003 John Riddoch is unlikely to be released for quite some time. The current vintage is 1999 and it looks like the 2003 will be the next release of this icon label. Southcorp has wisely decided the wines from the intervening vintages were not up to scratch, but this sample proved the vineyard regeneration programme yields results. The bouquet screams quality; the fruit is perfumed and varietally correct but it is tight as a drum and still in nappies. Beautifully balanced and constructed, it is more elegant than previous vintages with dominant red and blue berry fruit flavours; it will be more approachable in its youth. Muscular-weight, the tannins are drying, fine and smooth and it should come together beautifully as it becomes a very drinkable around 2007 and beyond. A seriously good wine, I can't wait till this is released. Rated as Highly Recommended now, the rating should go up as the wine matures.

Wynns 2003 Johnson’s Block has not been released yet. The wine is a single vineyard blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and should sell for approximately $33 at cellar door. The lifted perfumed floral nuances were very sexy. Impeccably balanced with sensational fruit, the silky tannins provide a sensuous mouth feel; it might be a “show pony” but it’s damned attractive. Loads of blackberry, blackcurrant, coffee and aniseed flavours already show wonderful harmony. Ample-weight with a supple consistency, the structure is tight and elegant. I had a great deal of difficulty spitting this wine, it certainly is slurpable. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value.

Saturday Afternoon Mass being blessed by Brother

John, with Father Greg presiding over the service

Clearly, Wynns is certainly back on track but to some extent, there has been a slight stylistic change in direction. Judging by the look of the Johnson's Block and the 2003 John Riddoch, the wines are being designed to be more approachable in their youth. Having a John Riddoch being very drinkable at four years of age will take some getting used to, but no doubt it will please the majority of wine drinkers who don't have the patience to cellar their wine. The results of the vineyard reconstruction work is already evident and should become more so this time progresses.

We were also fortunate enough to be able to try the 2001 vintage of the Lindemans trio. In the past, the trio has always been released at the same time but that philosophy has changed. Each wine will be released when the previous vintage has sold out. The Trio has had a chequered history. In the 1990s when the group was formed; Bin 707, John Riddoch and the Lindemans trio were all about the same price, $32. It was decided that the trio should be wound back in price and they were reduced to about $20, but could be found for as low as $14 on special. Over the intervening years, the price of Bin 707 has gone up to about $150. The price of the John Riddoch hit $90 and based on the then current sale rate, it would have taken 12 years to clear the 1998 inventory, so the price was dropped to a more realistic $55, although many retailers were selling at for as low as $45. The pricing history of the Lindemans trio has been as chequered. After having fallen to $20 just over a decade ago, the theoretical recommended price has been ratcheted back up to close to $50. However, the market obviously doesn't think they are worth that much, they are regularly on special, and the last time I purchased the Pyrus, it cost $29.

Greg admitted the vineyards used for the Lindemans trio, which were planted about 35 years ago, were subject to some of the same problems as those suffered by Wynns; although they were not affected as badly, they were now being renovated too.

Lindemans 2001 St George will be released later this year. The bouquet was attractive but brooding; the quality of the fruit is there and no doubt it will improve with time. The wine is stylistically consistent with the previous vintages and whilst everything is in balance, drinking the wine at this stage of its life is hard work. Varnished, leathery oak dominates the palate but there is enough blackberry, chocolate and liquorice fruit flavours to absorb it. Muscular-weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and well-developed complexity it needs time to settle down and come together. It is the worst possible case of vininfanticide and is currently rated as Recommended with ** for value; in reality, that rating is unfair as the wine has a mile of potential to improve. When it is released, if you can find it on special, it will be worth buying to cellar. Look at it again in 2010.

Lindemans 2001 Limestone Ridge will probably not be released until 2006. The wine appears soft on the mid-palate; there is a heap of pure, deeply-seated ripe fruit delivering blackberry, rich chocolate and plum; but this is deceptive as the dusty tannins slowly build and finish chewy. Muscular-weight with a firm but supple consistency, the structure is both solid and layered; and the complexity is well developed and harmonious. According to John, "it would make a great communion wine and if they served it in church, he would go regularly." It is eminently drinkable, and rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, the rating may go up as the wine matures in 2008 and beyond.

Lindemans 2001 Pyrus will probably not be released until 2006. Now this is a seriously big old-fashioned wine, and I say that with the greatest respect. Dark berries, liquorice, chocolate, mint and blueberry flavours finish with excellent length and persistence. A full-bodied wine well-backed by dusty, drying tannins; the complexity is well developed and will improve with time. A real long-term cellaring proposition, it needs time to soften and will be best approached in 2011 and beyond. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine peaks at 12 to 15 years of age.

The Lindemans range is consistent within its group, although the Limestone Ridge is the most approachable of the three. All are reasonably stylistically old-fashioned and will appeal to those that enjoy the rewards of well cellared wine.

Our appointments started at about 3.30 with the vineyard tour and finished at about 6.30 after tasting our way through some impressive wines. Indeed, everything about this visit was impressive and with time, the investment Southcorp has been making in their vineyards will show dividends as the fruits of their labours become evident in the wine. Tasting wine with Greg Clayfield as your host is an enjoyable experience that everyone should have at least once in their life.

Alexander Cameron Motel ……………………

That was the end of the day’s formal wine tasting activity, but the fun was far from over as we had a good dinner to look forward to, but first it was time for a quick shower at our motels. The rooms in the Alexander Cameron Motel are certainly huge, big enough to throw a good party. Being brand-new, everything works and the rooms are well appointed. The rate was also reasonable at less than $100 for the night.

The camaraderie between Brian and John meant that they were very easy travelling companions, and as a group we got on famously. The one downside was John's bad influence on Brian; specifically in the pie department. It's bad enough having to travel with the Pie King of South Australia, but having to travel with his willing, and as it turns out highly skilled apprentice, certainly does create its moments.

After two days, I am being bored witless by John's latest favourite saying, "don't you worry about that!” I am beginning to think that his mother may have had an affair with Sir Jo Bjelke Peterson.

We had booked dinner at Pipers of Penola based on the recommendation of our good mate Steve Norman. The building is an old converted church and the interior has been tastefully decorated in a modern fashion with stained wooden floors, high ceilings, mood lighting et cetera. When we visited Majella earlier that afternoon, they were inconsiderate enough to have sold out of their 2003 Sparkling Shiraz so we were unable to taste it. However, the local pub around the corner from the restaurant, which had an excellent selection of wine, including many older vintages at reasonable prices, had the Majella in stock, so Brian purchased a bottle for us to try.

When Brian and I arrived at the restaurant, John had arrived early and was halfway through “a cleansing ale”. When Brian asked him how it was, John said "when beer is good it's normally very good and when it's bad, it's still pretty good. And it's never corked either!”

The night didn't start off with a bang, more like a whimper! When our “server” (I hate this politically correct BS, and from here on in will call her a waitress) pulled out the tree bark plug, the wine gave a gentle little sigh. The damn cork had not sprung back properly and whilst the wine was not totally flat, it certainly is started off not having the expected level of bubbles. As it turned out, the way the glasses were washed may have had just as much to do with the subdued mousse. The fruit was so good that we still happily drank the wine.

………………………… Pipers of Penola

At most of these dinners, the philosophy tends to get pretty deep and meaningful and at many of them, we manage to solve a number of the world's great problems. At this one, John came up with another brilliant philosophical statement. "Relationships are like vines, you need to keep them in balance." I might add that earlier in the day, whilst we were driving to Coonawarra John came up with another wonderful bit of philosophy. He said, "I think discussion is overrated, since my wife and I have stopped having discussions, our marriage has improved immeasurably.” The mind boggles! I wonder what Sue will think when she reads this?

For a starter, both John and I had King George Whiting with a capsicum and onions salsa which was very tasty. The tartare sauce was creamy and way above normal quality. Brian ordered a Thai beef salad and requested a side serve of hot chilli sauce. He thought it was a bit ordinary without the addition of the extra hot chilli which tarted it up a bit; but it didn't have a good balance of hot, sweet and sour flavours.

The second wine was a bottle of Orlando 1996 Limited Blend which I had brought. John was really looking forward to trying this wine, as the last two that came out of his cellar were corked. The wine was sensational, smooth as a newborn baby’s bum and the complexity was impeccable. Flavours of liquorice, blackberry, blackcurrant and chocolate finished with fantastic length. Brian remarked on the chilli flavour! According to John, the wine has a musky smell that he found sexy. Brian thought it was bottle stink! And these two are “helping me” with my tasting notes.

Now that Brian has retired, and considering that his partner Andrea originally came from Adelaide, on a number of occasions, Brian has stated that in the future they may move to Adelaide. Upon hearing this, John said "that's great, now you'll be able to see more of me.” To which Brian said "There's always a downside to everything.”

For a main course, both Brian and I order twice cooked duck. I have certainly eaten much better duck and found this to be pretty ordinary. According to Brian, “The duck could have been darker, richer, and roasted a bit more.” The duck lacked the flavour it should have had although the sauce was lovely; the sweet potato rosti went well with the dish. The biggest problem with the duck was that the second cooking was not done properly and there was way too much fat left under the skin.

John being his usual gourmet self, ordered a steak. When I asked him what he thought about it he said "It's ****ing awesome, I almost censored censored ….. etc.” I think he was trying to tell me he liked it. He also loved the fried zucchini flowers that came with the steak.

We also polished off the left-over Majella 2003 Shiraz that the Prof had kindly given us at the conclusion of the tasting. It was most enjoyable with the increased air time.

The piece de resistance in this restaurant was the cheese and made the whole experience and meal worthwhile. The list of cheese was not just a list as it is in most restaurants; it was a real menu, complete with tasting notes. As good as the menu looked, the delivery was even better. Any serious cheese-o-phile could not go past this dish for $18. There was enough on the plate to keep all three of us happy. The plate arrived with loads of seriously well-made fruit bread; this in itself was almost a meal. There was also pear, quince paste, fruit cake, walnuts and a superb apricots and almond paste.

When we made the booking, as they don’t normally allow BYO on Friday and Saturday night, we negotiated and volunteered to pay a reasonable corkage charge. When the bill arrived, we had been slugged $15 per bottle corkage including a bottle that was corked and not consumed. We only had one change of glasses (with 4 bottles) and did the majority of pouring ourselves. Considering that I had played $8 per bottle earlier that week in one of Sydney's better restaurants, I thought that by Australian standards, the $15 per bottle charge for a small country restaurant was excessive.

The service was adequate but certainly nothing special and based on our experience with the patchy food and exorbitant corkage, given a choice, I certainly would not recommend this restaurant as my first preference in this area.

And with that, I said goodnight to the other two reprobates who had decided to wander off to a local hotel to consume a couple of cleansing ales.

Sunday - Coonawarra

Up bright and early, I went for a very enjoyable early morning walk through the township and along the back streets. Whilst Coonawarra as a region might not be exactly a scenic mecca, the side streets in the town of Penola do have some attractive houses and once you get off the main street, it does have a homely atmosphere.

After my walk, I got back to the motel room and as I had run out of bottled water, took my daily pills with some tap water. Penola must be the only place in the world where the taste of water is actually substantially improved with the liberal addition of psyllium husks.

Seen on my early morning walk – I would like to work those hours!

I had no idea how the other two were going to scrub up this morning but John seemed like he was reasonably bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when he picked us up at 8.20 am. Our first appointment had been scheduled for nine o'clock at Zema Estate. The early start would allow us time to have a quick breakfast; it turned out to be quicker than anticipated.

There is only one thing worse than looking for a winery that opens at nine o'clock and not being able to find one, and that's looking for somewhere to eat at 8.30 am on a Sunday morning in Penola. As we drove through town looking for a coffee shop or a bakery, everything was closed, and I mean everything; not even the bakery was open, who ever heard of a bakery not being open on Sunday! Needless to say, I was not impressed but his Pieship and his apprentice were really snarky. They decided the only option was to have breakfast at the local service station, and I don’t mean from the diner section because there wasn’t one; I mean the snacks and sweets section. And what’s more when they walked out with their goodies, they stopped complaining; it was almost as though they looked forward to the junk food breakfast. I had a nut bar and an apple juice; this place was so basic they didn't even sell tomato juice. The other two indulged in gourmet delights; Brian had a sausage roll and John consumed a Snickers Bar, a Quix Bar, an iced coffee flavoured milk and a Red Bull energy drink.

Today was Mothers Day and as the last five years of tradition dictates, John and I were out of McLaren Vale on this day. This is not because John doesn't want to see his mother, but there is a family tradition the Meat Pie King would rather avoid. On Mother's Day, the Pie King’s Queen usually goes to her parents place for most of the day, and being out-of-town with me is the best excuse in the world for avoiding his parent-outlaws. In fact, my whole May trip is now geared around being away from McLaren Vale on this weekend. In previous years, we have found many of the wineries in the Barossa are run by people who have mothers and close for the day. It looks like the wineries in Coonawarra are all run by people who don't have mothers , because they are all open.

Our first appointment was at Zema Estate. At Wine Australia last year, Matt Zema invited me to do the grand tour of the winery next time I was in the region, promising to look after me personally. He conveniently arranged to be in Melbourne on the day of my visit, which means he got out of having to meet us at 9 a.m. on Sunday. His winemaker, Tom Simons was not so lucky. We met out the front of the winery and had a good chin wag before we went in to the winery and tasted some barrel samples.

…    ……. Zema Museum Inventory

The oldest vineyard owned by the winery was planted 37 years ago and the Zema family purchased the property in 1982. As well as the vineyard at the front of the winery, they own one near Penola and another one north of the winery in Coonawarra. The original vineyard is dry grown and the other two receive minimal irrigation. The winery aims to produce approximately 6 tonnes to the hectare. It is a true estate winery, with everything grown, made and bottled on the premises.

They currently crush 300 tonnes but are looking to increase it to 500 tonnes over time. They currently own 150 acres and the vines are hand pruned. The winery's first venture into Stelvin will be with the 2003 Cluny.

I asked Tom for his impressions of the vintages from 2001 to 2005 inclusive and as his response mirrors that of many other winemakers, I thought I would share them with you.

“2001 yielded cropping levels that were above average and the wines had a ripe elegance about them.

2002 and 2003 were both years that yielded very low crops. The wines from 2002 were quite concentrated whilst those from 2003 are looking very smart. Some of the vineyards in 2003 didn't even get picked because the yield would have been so low that it would not justify the cost of harvesting the grapes. There is some conjecture in the region about which one of these two years is the better. I think its 2002 and some of the 2003 wines show a herbal, mineral character.

2004 could best be compared to 1998, it was very similar. It was one of those out of the ordinary, very good years.

2005 achieved excellent cropping levels and the style of the wines will be big and robust.”

By this time, we had moved into the winery and the subject of oak came up. The Cluny gets 25% new oak, the red label Shiraz and Cabernet get between 30 and 35% new oak, the Merlot gets 70%, and the Family Selection gets 100%. They use approximately two thirds French and one third American oak; the American going into the Shiraz and Cluny. In majority of instances, the fruit selection process for the Family Selection range is fairly simple. The fruit for these wines generally comes from the block at the front of the winery and they are the oldest vines Zema owns. Occasionally a batch from one of the other vineyards is of the required quality and will be earmarked for the Family Selection.

Zema 2003 Inventory ready for release …………..

Notice the unused barrels – normally an unusual sight …..

We then started tasting barrel samples, and Brian and John were convinced Tom was “getting his own back” for having to meet us at nine o'clock, by making us taste 2005 samples that had not gone through malo, (Brian said it was like drinking purple battery-acid) and were reeking of new oak. I certainly enjoyed it, but I must admit it was hard work and would have been easier on top of a real breakfast. The winery produces about 60% Cabernet and 40% Shiraz.

The Zema Family Selection Shiraz and Cabernet are both very smart wines so I asked Tom why they didn't make the Family Selection blend. Essentially the answer was that they already had six wines and didn't really need another one. After scratching his head for a moment, he then said, "I don't know, Majella has certainly done well with their Malleea. I believe it comes down to best fit.”

The numerous barrel samples we waded our way through certainly gave us a true indication of the quality of the wine, but in many ways that did not come as a surprise. I have been drinking their wines for many years and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I purchased multiple cases of the 1992 Cabernet (I knew someone that knew someone that got them at mates’ rates.) By 1998 I figured the wine had entered its drinking window and slowly drank them over the next few years. Early in 2005 I found a lone bottle that had been misfiled in my cellar and was amazed at how ageless it was; essentially it had just plateaued and was holding perfectly without changing. At 13 years of age, it was still in the prime of its life and going nowhere in a hurry.

Interestingly enough, the 1998 at it current stage of development reminds me very much of the 92, it has entered its drinking window but will stay there for ages. And don’t forget, these are wines that currently sell for about $22; a real bargain!

Zema Estate 2003 Cluny sells for $20 at cellar door. The bouquet showed interesting complexity with typical varietal features. An excellent fruit-driven, easy-drinking wine, with off-sweet blackcurrant and dark chocolate flavours that finishes dry. Ample-weight, and whilst the mid-palate is soft there is more than enough tannins to hold this harmonious wine together. A good food wine, it is rated as Recommended with *** for value and ready to drink now.

Zema Estate 2003 Shiraz should sell for about $22 when it is released in November. The bouquet shows ripe, quality, brooding black fruit with pepper/spice, and vanillin oak characters. Smooth, drying dusty tannins combine with fresh acid and pure, deep fruit to provide excellent structure and balance. The palate follows the nose with red berries, blackberry and loads of spice; all finishing with excellent length and persistence. Medium-weight with a firm but supple consistency, the structure is tight, solid and shows some elegance. The complexity is well developed, harmonious and in time the wine should become seamless. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, the wine has miles of potential and I would expect the rating to improve as the wine reaches maturity; it’s also seriously good value.

…………………. Zema “Bottling Plant”

Zema Estate 2002 Family Selection Shiraz should sell for $40 when it is released in July. A sexy nose with black fruits, coffee, char and a touch of spicy oak. Deep, pure, persistent fruit delivers spice, blackcurrant, dark plum and chocolate that surfs down the palate, breaking over the tonsils, and flooding the mouth with fantastic power for its medium-weight. The structure is elegant, layered and solid; the consistency is supple and the complexity intricate. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures around 2010 and beyond.

Zema Estate 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon should sell for about $22 when it is released in November. Deeply seated pure fruit showing blackcurrant, chocolate, mulberry and aniseed flavours that are currently dominated by bucket loads of the drying tannins; given time the fruit should surface. Medium-weight with a very firm consistency, solid and tight structure the wine is hard to judge at this stage of its development but it certainly has a very good structure. I liked the wine and Brian said, "It needs years in a cool dark place." Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures around 2009 and beyond.

Zema Estate 2002 Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon should sell for $40 when it is released in July. The bouquet showed a touch of VA, the oak is dusty and the brooding; the rich fruit is very attractive. Deep, pure, persistent fruit is backed by sufficient powdery, puckering tannins to suck the back of you head in. An impressively structured wine, there is enough coffee, blackcurrant, red berries, and choc-mint to kick through the tannins and finish long and dry. Ample-weight with a firm but supple consistency; the structure is solid, elegant and tight and the complexity is already showing signs of harmony. It has all the components and just needs time. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures around 2010 and beyond.

Zema is a winery where you can buy the wines year in and year out with confidence knowing that they should cellar well. The Family Selection is a wine that’s right up there and whilst it is not as good at the $70-$80 top shelf Coonawarra Cabernets, it is not far behind. There are many good wineries in Coonawarra but Zema is one of the unsung heroes that continually manages to fly below the radar. They make consistently good wines and are priced very reasonably. There is nothing “flashy” about the winery and there is nothing “flashy” about the wines but they are solid, credible, well-made and good value. The smart buyers have a good supply of them stashed in their cellars.

From there, the lads let me know that because they missed out on a real breakfast, play lunch was in order so we headed around the corner to Red Fingers. This place makes a very good cup of coffee so I was feeling much better when I walked out. All of our light snacks were well prepared and tasty. Then it was off to Penley Estate. I did a complete write up on this winery a few years ago and always look forward to going back for another visit. Their whole range is generally impressive and there is no doubt Kym Tolley is a talented winemaker. Over the last few years, they have been slowly but steadily increasing their product range and when I made the appointment for this visit, I was told there would be a couple of new wines to try. Good stuff! One of the new wines is moving against the trend in Coonawarra; whilst some companies like Southcorp are furiously pulling out Pinot, Penley has decided to introduce one.

Penley Cellar Door ……….……………….

You can bet these two suspicious characters are up to no good!

Penley Estate 2004 Pinot is the first vintage of this wine and sells for $15 at cellar door. Smooth tannins and fresh, youthful acid provide a lean body weight, supple consistency and elegant structure. Cherry, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate deliver an agreeable level of pleasant flavours that linger respectably. An OK wine for the price, and a good choice in the bistro, is rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

Penley Estate 2003 Hyland Shiraz sells for $19.95 at cellar door. A ripe, fruit-driven, plummy bouquet showing white pepper and earthy oak characters. A clean, well-balanced and medium-weight wine; the smooth drying tannins provide a firm consistency and solid structure. Off-sweet on the uptake with savoury, spicy plums and milk chocolate; the mid-palate is soft and it finishes with oak influences. Easy to drink now, and another good bistro wine; for a lighter style it's okay. Rated as Recommended with *** for value it should improve for the next couple of years.

Penley Estate 2003 Phoenix sells for $19.95 at cellar door. This Cabernet is way too young to enjoy and the fruit is currently buried by youthful, crisp acid and fine, smooth, drying tannins. The bouquet shows spice, smoky oak, dusty notes, a touch of leaf, and sweet berry fruit. Red and blue berry fruit together with milk chocolate finishes with reasonable length and persistence. Ample-weight, with a firm consistency and solid structure this needs at least three years to come together. Rated as Recommended with **** for value.

Penley Estate 2003 Condor sells for $19.95 at cellar door. Upon tasting this wine, Brian immediately said, "A worthwhile addition to the line." This is a Shiraz Cabernet blend made from estate grown fruit and may eventually replace the existing Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon. It was matured in both French and American oak, 50% of which was new. The bouquet was completely shut down but luckily the same could not be said for the palate. Pure, distinct fruit delivers an attractive flavour profile of plum, pepper, black/blueberries, and mint that fills every nook and cranny of the mouth and finishes with good length. Ample-weight with a supple consistency and solid structure; there is nothing flash about this wine but it is more-ish and I would be happy to drink it at any time, especially with food. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, it is sensational for the price; the wine may gain complexity as it matures over the next few years.

Penley Estate 2001 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon will sell for $29.70 at cellar door when it is released in August. A bigger wine than the Condor, it shows vanillin oak characters, ripe multiple berry fruits, and milk chocolate; it's very attractive with excellent complexity and has an impressive amalgam of nuances. Layered, sweet and savoury flavours of black olives, spice, dark chocolate, tomato leaf and black berries are munchable! Muscular-weight, with a supple consistency and a soft mid-palate, the complexity is sophisticated and this eminently drinkable wine, although approachable now, should improve with time in the cellar. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, as the Yanks would say, "this is a kick arse wine."

Penley Estate 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon will sell for $49.99 at cellar door when it is released in July or August. A serious attention grabbing bouquet; it is intensely dusty over a blanket of the impeccably clean, fresh fruit. Classically constructed and supremely balanced, all the components for a long life are there for this classical Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. With a savoury top layer underpinned by sweet fruit, the sophisticated complexity certainly grabbed my undivided attention. Muscular-weight with a tight, solid structure showing some elegance the dusty, drying tannins beautifully framed the pure, deep fruit. Rated as Excellent with **** for value, I wouldn't bother to open it until 2010 and beyond. John said “I want to bathe in it.”

Penley Estate 2002 Reserve Shiraz will sell for $49.99 at cellar door when it is released in July or August. There was no 2001 wine under this label (or the Reserve shiraz) because the fruit was deemed not to be up to standard. Well done Penley for not inflicting an inferior premium wine on the unsuspecting public. Wow! The scents leapt out of the glass like a Pogo stick; they were rich, ripe, intense and classy. An impressive package; supremely balanced by very-fine, tightly-grained tannins and exuberant fruit that delivered off-sweet plum, spice, dark coffee and blackberry that was contrasted and by a creek of sweetness running below; it finishes with assertive length and authoritative persistence. Muscular-weight with a firm but supple consistency, this is a very smart wine that will only get better with time and will probably peak around 2010-2015+. Rated as Excellent with **** for value, it has miles of potential.

Kym Tolley has the objective of eventually using 100% estate grown fruit for his wines. Penley Estate would have to be one of the most consistent producers in Coonawarra. I honestly can't remember ever having a bad, or poorly made wine from this estate and the quality of the wines are consistently good to excellent. Their wines are also now bloody good value as some of them have be adjusted (down) because of tough market conditions.

We went to the next winery with some trepidation. Bowen Estate used to be a favourite but some of the recent vintages had been very patchy so we had no idea what we would find. The news was good, the wines have returned to form, even in the difficult 2002 vintage.

Bowen Estate 2002 Shiraz sells for $22 at cellar door. Unusually, I preferred the Shiraz to the Cabernet. The bouquet was attractive; rich, very ripe and showing plums and blackberry. Pure, deep, strong fruit has been well balanced to the abundant powdery tannins and deliver intense blackberry, spice, pepper, chocolate, violets and liquorice flavours that linger well and finish with an almost bitter chocolate/coffee taste. Ample-weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and an agreeable complexity; this wine is better than many of the previous vintages and is rated as Recommended with **** for value; its peak drinking window is 2007-2010.

Bowen Estate 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $22 at cellar door. A typical, varietal Cabernet nose that is leafy, dusty, with coffee, composted earthy notes, and a menthol lift. There are enough smooth tannins to hold the wine together and whilst the mouth feel is supple, there is a slightly hard edge to the consistency. Well-balanced, the blackberry, liquorice, chocolate, mint and coffee oak flavours finish with good persistence. Ample-weight, it is very drinkable and already harmonious, but it should improve as it softens over the next couple of years. Rated as Recommended with **** for value.

From there, it was a quick trip to Punters Corner where I wanted to check out two wines. I have tried most of their current releases at Wine Australia last November, but there was one new release and one back release that Brian and I wanted to try. By coincidence, the waitress who looked after as the previous evening at Pipers of Penola was looking after this cellar door today.

The wine that Brian wanted to try was the 1999 Shiraz which the winery had been selling on special. We had both promoted the special on our web sites and Brian had received an e-mail from someone claiming that they found the wine was green and unattractive; the description was certainly very different to my original tasting note made two years previously. We retasted the 1999 Shiraz and found nothing green or unattractive about it and when I looked at my original tasting note, it was well within the bounds of normality.

Punters Corner 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $30 at cellar door (case price.) You can still purchased in 1999 Cabernet for $24 or the 2001 for $27.50. An interesting bouquet and one that was difficult to discern the nuances; but soy sauce and cedar notes were obvious. A solid, well-made wine, the tannins were deceptive at the start but kicked in and certainly let you know they were there. This ample-weight wine is a dichotomy in many ways but with time, once it has had a chance to soften, it should be pretty good. Intensely savoury, with spice, black and blue berry fruits, mint, and soy, the complexity is diverse. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures around 2010, and drinking it before that would be a waste.

Another short car drive, this time to Parker Coonawarra Estate. The 2001 vintage of this wine that was atypical, it was rich, ripe, exuberant, in your face and destined for early drinking, and whilst it was a very enjoyable wine, it was certainly not your typical Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. I was looking forward to trying the 2002 as it was more likely to be back into the normal mould. The last time I visited this winery, I introduced myself and gave the (elderly) lady who manned cellar door my card, but it made no difference, there was no way I was going to get to try their First Growth. This time I didn't bother, politely avoided trying the Merlot and got straight down to work.

Parker 2002 Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $34.95 at cellar door. The bouquet is quintessential Coonawarra Cabernet; dusty, leafy with blackcurrant below. A good wine that will improve with the big sleep, it is well-balanced, muscular-weight with a very firm consistency and reasonably well developed complexity. Blackcurrant, black olive, chocolate and mint flavours complete the package. An old-style Coonawarra Cabernet that is worth throwing into the cellar, it is rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value; drink in 2009 and beyond.

Whilst we were at Parker, the cellar door manageress was raving about a new winery called Koonara that had a cellar door located in the main street of Penola. It was owned by members of the Renschke family (not the producers of the Empyrion,) that have been growing grapes for some years and have decided to make their own wine. Being suckers for recommendations, we decided to head back into Penola to try their wines. When we got there, Brian rang Red Fingers to give them half an hour's notice so that they could start preparing our lunch. He made the booking for Mr Pie O’clock.  And what is more of a worry is they knew exactly who Brian was referring to!

The family has been cattle farmers in Coonawarra for over a hundred years (like many of today's crop of grape growers) and about 17 years ago decided to plant vines on their property near the Mildara vineyard. From 1991 to 1998, they were making small quantities of wine for their own consumption. In 1999, they decided to release their wine to the public. They crop at about 2 tonnes to the acre, which is fairly low, even by Coonawarra standards. Peter Douglas is now their winemaker. The cellar door takes up a small part of a medium-size shop that sells assorted art work and gifts. With lunch already booked, I only had time to try two of their wines.

Koonara 1999 Ambriel’s Gift sells for $27 at cellar door. There is nothing subtle about this big, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon; with chewie, drying tannins, much of them from them coming from the oak. Pure, strong, deep fruit delivers blackberry, blackcurrant, and mint flavours which linger nicely. An interesting wine and whilst the fruit is just able to keep pace with the tannins now, I think it will fade before the tannins integrate. Rated as Recommended with *** for value. There are better wines around.

Koonara 2002 Ambriel’s Gift sells for $24 at cellar door. This Shiraz exhibits a bouquet of charry oak over dark fruit. Heaps of dusty tannin over black berry fruit and whilst there is enough fruit to absorb the charry oak, I'm not sure there is enough fruit to handle the tannins. A full-bodied wine, with a firm consistency, solid structure and plain complexity, it is rated as Acceptable with *** for value.

Peter Douglas may be a very talented winemaker, and it is probable he did not make these wines, but if he did, either he has lost the plot, or more likely, does not have the required quality of raw ingredients (i.e. good enough grapes) to work with. The visit to this winery was not exactly enthralling and if they are to survive in an incredibly competitive marketplace, their wines are going to have to be a lot better than the two I tried.

Now the event that we have all been waiting for, even me! I was looking forward to the Wagyu Beef Pie at Red Fingers. The pies were served in a ramekin bowl with a crusty top. The sauce was wine-based and reasonably rich and contained lots of mushroom but unfortunately not a huge amount of Wagyu Beef. Nevertheless, it was most enjoyable. If we could eat pies like this all the time, I would be happy to eat them almost every day. As it turned out, the Meat Pie King of South Australia is a bloody meat pie wimp! John was unable to finish his Wagyu Beef Pie. Brian and I had absolutely no trouble in getting through ours and Brian even managed to finish off John’s left overs. Too rich? Not as far as I was concerned, I followed up the pie with a decadently rich and disgusting vanilla slice. The consistency was so thick; I had trouble cutting into it. To quote Ian Thorpe, "It's fully sick." And if I have another mouthful I would have been; but if you are going to pig out, you might as well do it in style.

On the way home, John was certainly in a better frame of mind than on the drive to Coonawarra. John’s eyesight is not great; coke bottles have nothing on his glasses so he drove the first leg of the journey and it was decided by a unanimous vote that I would do the second leg. John’s night vision is non existent and I knew the back roads that were required to get us home better than Brian. So once again, I “got lucky” and was driving into the sun.

Now if you want an example that illustrates John's sight capabilities here is the perfect one. On the way home, John spoke to Sue, and she asked him to pick up some cream. He tried at a service station at Mount Barker but they didn't have any, neither did the service station at Meadows; or the take-away shop there either. When we found a mini market, John spent five minutes looking for the dairy cabinet despite the fact that directly in front of his head was a 2 meters long and 1 meter high sign with a single word on it; “Milk” and an arrow pointing to it.

At one stage the conversation drifted to winemakers losing a substantial share of their winery after being divorced. John in his inimitable style sprouted another one of his wisdoms, "If you are going to make wine, you don't grope for trout in peculiar waters."

We arrived back at Pie King Bridge Vineyards a little before 7 pm. We had a great trip and many wonderful experiences. It’s a long way to go in two days and decided that next time we will allow an extra half a day, staying two nights in Coonawarra.

When John spoke to Sue on the way home, she told him that she had made roast beef and John and I were speculating whether she had made Yorkshire pudding too.  I said "of course she would have, she loves making Yorkshire pudding." John replied, “I certainly hope so, her Yorkshire pudding is better than sex with a nubile wench.” He really is a sick man. The dinner was lip-smackingly good but halfway through, Sue looked up from her plate and hesitantly said “I forgot to make the Yorkshire pudding” and John and I just broke up laughing. As usual, as is Sue’s want, there was enough food to feed a small regiment, or possibly enough to feed John for two meals. There was a ji-normous bowl of corn on the cob, as well as a large plate of scrumptious crunchy roast potatoes. After pigging out on potatoes, not to mention the lunch earlier in the day, there was no way I could eat the bread-and-butter pudding (with cream) that was for dessert.

The duck and chooks were happy to see John. Hosanna, despite having been asked specifically to let them out, forgot to do so on Sunday. I wouldn’t have

liked to be in her shoes when Brian and I were not around.  It really does look like John failed Parenting 101! Or maybe Hosanna didn’t attend.

With dinner, naturally enough we consumed a couple of glasses of vino. The first was a Majella 1999 Sparkling Shiraz that was glorious. The wine is just entering its peak drinking window and it showed more complexity and interesting nuances than the 2003 vintage wine we had tried the previous night. With typical Sparkling Shiraz flavours, it is not overly sweet or confected which makes it even more enjoyable. We followed that up with a bottle of Casas 1999 Cabernet (WA) that Brian brought. Both John and Brian liked it but I found it to be a bit hot and alcoholic. To my palate, it also seemed disjointed with a layer of tannins, a separate layer of fruit, and together with its youthful acidity, I couldn't see it coming together. We also finished off the Penley 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which the winery had kindly allowed us to take with us after the tasting. It was absolutely stunning, and all better for having a few hours of airtime and a good shake up in the car on the way home. The flavour profile of the wine, which was off-sweet was most unusual, possibly rhubarb, but it was certainly enjoyable. With time, it should become a classical Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest order.

Prior to ending this chapter, it is worth while summarising my findings in Coonawarra. In terms of  2002, some people have reported many of the wines having loads of green capsicum characters, but certainly most of the wines I tried were not in that spectrum. They may not have been as rich and ripe as 2001, but in their own right many of them were credible. However, 2002 in Coonawarra is a mixed bag, some of the Cabernets show very firm tannins, and I would recommend that unless your palate is aligned to someone and you can rely on their tasting notes, try before you buy. As far as 2003 is concerned, whenever winemakers tell me that volumes the way down but the quality is really there, I am normally very sceptical. However, in this case based on the samples I tried, many of the 2003 wines were very good and I would not hesitate to buy them, especially the Shiraz, and that it in itself is unusual as Coonawarra is renowned for Cabernet.

And with that, it was time for bed, tomorrow was going to be another big day of wine tasting and pie avoidance.

To be continued........

Chapter Three can be found here

Click here for Chapter One

Copyright © Ric Einstein 2005