"TORB’s September SA Sojourn" – (The 2006 South Australian Tour Diary)
Chapter One - Introduction
Unfortunately due to ill health, the trip that I normally take to South Australia, straight after vintage, early in May, had to be postponed until September. Whilst my health had improved, I was conscious of the need to maintain a sensible pace. Also the Pie King (John Davis) and Red Bigot (Brian Handreck) would do nothing but complain if there were too many early starts and too many appointments through the day. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
In all honesty, the relaxed approach paid dividends as we were rarely in a hurry and had time to sniff the roses, so to speak. We still managed to taste our way through close to 250 wines, and consumed some fabulous meals; and despite my best efforts the boys managed to consume a vast quantity of very ordinary meat pies.
The one downside of this trip was that when I tried to make appointments, unfortunately many of the winemakers were unavailable. At first I thought it may have been my deodorant, but I subsequently found out the reason for them leaving town was not because they were trying to avoid me; they were trying to shore up the Christmas trade. In reality, the only impact this had was gaining an accurate vintage assessment for 2006.
Naturally enough, this Tour Diary will be broken up into weekly chapters and will contain the usual anecdotes, pictures, and vivid descriptions of the Pie King's antics. Oh, I almost forgot, the tasting notes will also be included, as well as details of some fabulous food. All the tasting notes will be individually uploaded in the Tasting Note Data Base for easy future searching.
The Pie King has become something of a
legend; at many of the wineries we went to for the first time, or when we met
new people, the first question they asked was, "and which one of you is the Pie
King”? Even before the trip, John was showing concerns about his reputation and
asked if I could change his alias to Mandingo.
Brian had to
explain there was a little problem with the colour of his skin, and whilst he
may be six foot seven, he is probably a little “short” in another area to
qualify for this title.
This tour diary would not have been possible
without the incredibly generous cooperation and support of the wineries
involved. When trying to set up the appointments, there was only one (small)
winery that I approached, that did not bend over backwards to cooperate with the
scheduling. In addition, the vast majority of these wineries went to a great
deal of trouble, many of them going out of their way and doing things that were
well and truly above and beyond the normal call of duty to make our visit as
memorable as possible. We also dropped into a number of wineries completely
unannounced. In the vast majority of cases, these wineries were incredibly
cooperative (although there were a couple who were staffed by people who
obviously thought their own excrement was odourless, or their nose was so far up
in the air they could not smell it; and a few that unfortunately didn't have a
clue - and you will get to read all about these in detail too). At this point,
I would sincerely like to thank the wineries and
their staff for their time, hospitality, and assistance; without
their support, these tour diaries would not be possible.
With the past Tour Diaries, by way of introduction, a vintage perspective has been provided, together with a few key observations that were made during the trip. If you have not seen Vintage Perspective 2006 and Tour Diary Observations, it can be found here.
As usual, the TORB Rating System has been used throughout these notes. If you are unfamiliar with the TORB Rating System, it worth spending a minute or two becoming familiar with it; click here for details. It is important to understand that I am a very hard marker.
They
say getting there is half the fun, but I don't think “they” know what they are
talking about.
I would
much rather taste wine than spend time in airports and stuffy aeroplanes.
As per plan, I dropped the dogs off at Lynn's place and then went home to pack. That way, they don't know if I'm going overnight or away for a week. When I got home and pulled out the suitcase, Tokay (my Ragdoll cat) immediately jumped into the bag and looked at me as if to say, “I'm coming with you dad”. Packing wasn't easy with two cats and the kitten continually jumping into the suitcase.
I climbed
into the "dog mobile" for what was to be its last trip, (from Berrima to
Canberra and back,) and on this occasion, had a chance to try out my latest toy;
I had just purchased a GPS satellite navigation device that works in conjunction
with my PDA. The main reason for this purchase was that I was sick and tired of
taking "directions" from Brian and John, which were guaranteed not to get
us where we wanted to go.
It will
also be very handy when navigating through strange places, like Canberra, where
everything goes in circles.
I arrived
at Brian and Andrea's place with plenty of spare time so I could, to quote the
Pie King, “feign interest and pay dutiful homage to their recently completed
home renovations.” Whilst there was essentially nothing wrong with the old
house, the renovations have certainly smartened the place up and the improved
layout is much more functional and attractive. (If I didn't say anything nice
about the renovations, or even failed to mention it, my body and soul would be
in serious jeopardy when Andrea read the Tour Diary.
)
Raz
The dog
mobile was left at their house, and Andrea was kind enough to drive us both to
the airport. Unlike the last couple of trips when Brian joined me, this time
Andrea would not be alone as she had Raz (short for Shiraz) to keep her company.
After
being assigned the escape row seats, we went through the x-ray and metal
detection procedure. It must have been set on ultra-sensitive, as I had to go
through it three times, and finally had to remove my belt to get a green light.
I wonder what would happen to someone who was “well endowed” and wearing an
under-wire bra?
We headed
up to the departure lounge and decided to have a drink and snack, as we had
plenty of time before the plane took off. We purchased one tomato juice, one
bottle of water, two 50 gram bags of cashew nuts and a bag of potato crisps. The
bill was $17!
Ned
Kelly and Jesse James were philanthropic gentlemen after all.
Getting to the airport early pays dividends; once again we were lucky enough to get the escape row seats with lots of leg room. The fight was uneventful except in one respect; it was actually arrived early!
The new Adelaide airport has finally been completed and no doubt is a wonderful testament to the cunningly designed state policy of keeping people fit. Our plane landed at one end of the airport, and our transport was at the opposite end, a distance that seemed miles. Even the distance from the plane door to the arrival gate has been doubled by an excessively long, zigzag, ramp. As we finally got into the airport proper, the first "local" that I observed was taking a bite out of a meat pie, and in his other hand was a carton of ice coffee flavoured milk. Coincidence? I think not! The Pie King's influence is everywhere.
We had booked the Adelaide Flyer minibus to take us to John's place in McLaren Vale. As we finally got to the bus, my shoe phone went off and it was the driver of the minibus wanting to know where we were. My response was, “we are standing outside the bus; more to the point, where are you”? He had gone looking for us, which is an interesting concept as he had no idea what we looked like, unless he is a ‘closet red bigot’ that we don't know about.
It was an easy journey up to “Pie King Bridge Vineyards” and when we arrived at 8.30, received a very warm welcome from the two dogs, and Sue seemed quite pleased to see us too. His Lordship, The Pie King, was very pleased to see Brian, but immediately started giving me a hard time, trying to convince me that his alias should be changed from The Pie King, to something more suitable.
I told John in no uncertain terms he had absolutely no chance of winning ‘a dry argument’ so he very sensibly opened a bottle of (something blind which turned out to be) Tim Adams 1998 Aberfeldy Shiraz. I purchased a dozen of these upon release and hadn't tried the wine since that time so once I found out what the wine was, took fairly careful note of my impressions. The wine is starting to show early signs of aged characteristics with some leathery characters and dark fruit on the bouquet. The palate has abundant, dusty tannins, plenty of fresh fruit and still has a long way to go. The blackcurrant flavours are certainly not overripe, and some chocolate and liquorice flavours were also evident, as well as the usual trademark minty characters. A full-bodied wine that lingers beautifully with quality intense fruit, it is rated as Excellent.
The second bottle of wine opened, also blind, was a Lindemans 1998 Limestone Ridge. The tannins have resolved nicely and the wine is fairly sweet on the uptake, and whilst it is drinking well now, I don't think it will improve. It's just ample-weight and driven by juicy fruit and whilst the complexity wasn't overly abundant, it was most enjoyable. Rated as Highly Recommended.
Two
trips ago, when I arrived at around 9 p.m. although I had eaten on the way, John
had prepared some lovely food for dinner. So on the last trip down there, Brian
and I just had a snack but when we arrived, our gracious host
hadn't prepared anything for us to eat, so he was duly chastised in the Tour
Diary. When we were making arrangements for this trip, John told us that under
no circumstances were we to eat dinner on the way because he would make dinner.
John cooked a lovely Thai green chicken curry, but because Sue doesn't like very
hot food, it was pretty mild so Brian just munched on a few chillies to add a
bit of heat.
After dinner, we sat back and whilst we were polishing off the rest of the wine, solved the problems of the world.
The new
spare room has been completed since our last visit, so Brian didn't have to kick
Hosanna out of her room. “My room” had received a “pillow make over” - but I'm
not quite sure what they are trying to tell me.
We woke up to a beautiful morning; although it was cool and the ground was covered in dew, it looked like it was going to be a lovely day. The weather over winter in South Australia has been a real problem. Normally in winter the rain buckets down, and the summers are reasonably dry. During the winter of 2006, the rain did not eventuate; the dams range from low to empty and the subterranean groundwater is virtually non-existent. Its full-on drought conditions and all the predictions are that it will be a very tough vintage.
Not
everyone in the "farming business" is doing it tough. As you can see from the
photo, "Farmer John" - a picture of sartorial elegance, went out early to
collect the chook eggs. These ranged in size of from normal to gigantic. When I
asked him the secret of his chooks prolific laying ability, he told me that the
quarter acre of triffyd-like dandelion weed, which was fed to the chickens in
huge quantities, was the answer. Apparently there is a huge demand for these
eggs by Sue’s work colleagues, but at three dollars a dozen, they are unlikely
to be able to retire on the proceeds.
The Picture of Sartorial Elegance - Notice the excellent sock fit!
For the
record, John's excuse for having a quarter acre of out of control dandelion weed
for the chooks is a crock of you know what: since the goats have gone, he has
been too lazy to maintain this paddock properly.
Readers
of past Tour Diaries may have remembered the drama one has to go through to have
a shower at the Pie King Bridge Estate Hilton Hotel. It appears things have not
improved, in fact the plumbing has gotten worse and they have discovered major
plumbing problems all over the property. Last night Sue used a wonderful
expression, “it's still quite easy to dodge the drops of water in the shower”.
When I asked John why he had not got it fixed, he said, “With two women in the
family and being on tank water, and in a drought, why would I want to!” Very
wise words indeed - for once.
Our first appointment of the day was with Paul Beard who is an agent for a number of well-known, and some not so well-known, McLaren Vale brands. As usual, we met at Koffee and Snax. They manage to cook a very respectable breakfast, and know how to make a good cup of coffee. The four of us then climbed into Paul's car and were off to visit our first winery.
Sylvan Springs is small winery that flies below the radar and is owned by the Pridmore family. The family has a long history in the area, and David is the largest wine machinery contractor in the region. The winery is a long-term project, and David is not a get rich quick merchant, and is intent on providing very drinkable wine at affordable prices, something he is starting to achieve with more regularity as each year progresses.
Sylvan Springs 2004 Naughty Boys retails for between $10.50 and $13 and is a Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend that is sealed under screwcap. Three thousand cases have been produced. The bouquet is closed, but shows some spice and a clean fruity character. A fruit-driven wine with minimal, smooth tannins; it is medium-weight and has an agreeable complexity, but finishes short on the back palate. Intense blackberry and plum together with spices, nutmeg and vanilla, the flavour profile is off-sweet. A great party wine, that is very drinkable with loads of flavour in intensity, it's astounding for the price. Rated as Agreeable with ***** for value (at $10.50 or **** at $13) I would buy it without a second thought. The name “Naughty Boys” is much more appealing than “Duncan” - their Scotty Terrier; the wine has been named after him.
Great Wine Labels David Pridmore's smiling face Love the Clock
Sylvan Springs 2005 Hard Yards Shiraz sells between $13 and $15 on the street but is $12 at cellar door. The bouquet was closed but showed hints of raspberry and plum. Unobtrusive, minimal, powdery tannins support a fruit-driven wine that is off-sweet with plum, chocolate and hints of charry coffee characters. Medium-weight with a supple consistency, a simple but agreeable complexity the flavour profile is enjoyable and the wine is rated as Agreeable with **** for value. Give it 12 months in the bottle to settle down, then it will probably be better.
There will be no 2004 Sylvan Springs premium wines as the fruit has been used in the lower cost offerings. This was a sensible economic decision as these wines are selling very well and are helping to pay the bills. In 2005, the premium labels will be available and they will be released with an additional 18 months bottle age, which is a really good move. Experience has shown with previous vintages that the wines will look a lot better with that extra time in bottle.
From
there, we headed back up the road towards McLaren Vale to Red Heads
Studio. On my first visit, 18 months ago, they hoped to be opened fairly
soon, but due to the usual problems one can encounter with the local council and
neighbours, they are still not open. At last most of the problems have been
resolved, and I was told they should be opened by Christmas; the only problem
was they didn't say which Christmas. When I was there the first time, the place
looked like a combination of a bomb site and a construction site. On this visit,
whilst some progress has been made, it still looks like it in need of some
serious work.
For those that are not familiar with the concept behind this operation, it's brilliant. Take a bunch of talented winemakers, or even growers wishing to learn more about winemaking, and give them the freedom to do whatever they would like in an environment where experimentation and pushing the boundaries are encouraged. The underlying belief is that before real advances can to be made in winemaking, new things must be tried, and whilst mistakes will be made, learning from those mistakes and a can-do attitude should result in some interesting wines, and hopefully improved winemaking skills.
At the Studio, the winemakers can use the facilities to produce small batches of wine and have a number of supportive peers who will be able to assist with ideas, suggestions and encouragement. It's all about giving the opportunity to the winemakers, to do their own thing.
All the sounds very admirable and noble, but the studio has to make a profit. Luckily they are backed by Tony Laithwaite who is Britain's largest direct wine marketer and has been going for over 20 years. If it wasn't for this connection, the council delays probably would have meant the venture would have not got off the ground. Luckily, Tony has been able to absorb a lot of the produce and sell it in the UK.
Once the Studio gets up and running, it will sell two different ranges of wines. The Red Heads range will be the first, and a certain quantity of the wines that have been made by the independent wine makers will form the second range.
It is an exciting concept and one that should benefit not only the region, but assuming new techniques are discovered; it could benefit the whole Australian wine industry. Experimentation and innovation; it was this concept that was behind Maurice O’Shea’s legendary winemaking, as well as the basis of the formulation of Grange by Max Schubert.
On this occasion, as Justin Lane was away, we were met by Adam Hooper. The line-up of wines on the counter was impressive. This was certainly not going to be a dry argument.
Yard Dog 2005 is a blend of 46% Petite Verdot, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sealed under screwcap, 12,000 cases have been made and the wine should retail in the US for around $9.95, but it will be released in Australia later this year. The original parcels of wine were made by other wineries, but the finished product was blended at Red Heads. (You have to do something to pay the bills.) The floral aromatics jumped out of the glass and showed sweetness with contrasting hints of spice. The silky tannins are well-balanced but completely unobtrusive, and provide a supple consistency for this ample-weight wine that has a diverse complexity. Violets, spices, pepper, chocolate, plum, and herb flavours finish with reasonable length and very good persistence. Whilst it is clean, it’s rustic and would be a good food wine and worth considering if you want something a little different. Rated as Agreeable with **** for value.
Barrel Monkey 2004 Shiraz
is destined for the US market only at this time; it will sell for US$19.50 and
has been made completely by the Studio. It will eventually be released in
Australia late in 2006. The bouquet is black, tight and concentrated which leads
to a palate of black pepper, blackberry, and oregano flavours that finish with
very good persistence. Medium-weight and backed by silky tannins, the fruit is
distinct and strong. It has a lovely mouth feel, supple consistency, solid
structure and harmonious complexity; showing some class with excellent power for
its weight it is worth seeking out. Rated as
Highly Recommended with
**** for value, it should hit its straps in 2008 and beyond.
Satellite Gorge 2005 is a very unusual blend of 31% Nebbiolo, 37% Cabernet and 21% Merlot; it retails for $25 and is sealed under cork. The attractive, spicy nose shows excellent complexity. Loads of dusty tannins back the distinct fruit to form a medium-weight, sensationally-structured wine that is solid, firm and has a sophisticated complexity. Spice, chocolate, more spicy pepper, red and black fruit flavours flow across the palate with excellent length and finish dry. Maintaining some refinement, its structure is currently layered and when the fruit surfaces from below the tannins it should show more harmony. A great food wine, all those Oz wine bashers who say they are all the same should get their lips around this one. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it should hit its straps about 2010.
Racked One 2004 Shiraz was made for the UK market as a Red Heads wine, is sealed under cork and sells for 11 quid. The nose was pongy and meaty which led to a meaty palate with blackberry and whilst it was okay, it just didn't do it for me. Muscular-weight it finishes short on the back palate, is slightly disjointed and rated as Acceptable with ** for value.
Vittolo 2005 Nebbiolo is the first of the artisan wines and is made by Justin Lane from fruit sourced in Blewitt Springs; it is sealed under cork and sells for $29.50. Bottled only two weeks ago, the bouquet seemed a bit flat but it should come good as there were signs of attractive floral aromatics lurking below. Powdery tannins and deeply-seated fruit combine to form a medium-weight, firm, solid wine with a well-developed complexity and some elegance. Tangy on the uptake with chocolate, violets, spices, nutmeg; the mid-palate is juicy; it's very savoury with spices and offset with some sweetness. It's still very tight, finishing clean, dry and with excellent persistence. It's a bloody nice wine and will go well with food; rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, give it until 2008 and then try again.
Vittolo 2005 Shiraz is sealed under cork and sells for $29.50; it saw mainly American oak and spent eight months on lees. The bouquet is fragrant, spicy and showed zingy fruit characters. Tightly-grained dusty tannins combine with pure, deeply-seated, strong fruit to form a muscular-weight wine with a firm, almost hard consistency and whilst it needs time to soften and integrate I'm not sure if it will never soften enough to be a terrific wine. Blackberry, mulberry, and chocolate flavours finish dry and clean. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, give it until 2010.
La Curio 2005 The Nubile is a blend of Grenache and Shiraz from McLaren Vale and was matured in half American and half French, aged oak; it sells for $19 and is sealed under cork. Bottled only two weeks ago, the bouquet showed pleasant aromatics with peppery characters. Loads of powdery tannins currently dominate the fruit and whilst it needs time for the tannins to integrate, there is enough fruit to carry the load. Chocolate, blackberry, raspberry and pepper provide a diverse, but agreeable complexity that is both sweet and spicy. Medium-weight with a supple consistency and solid structure the flavour profile is very interesting. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, drink from 2008.
La Curio 2005 Reserve Bush Vine Grenache is sourced from 80-year vines, sells for $24 direct (or $27 street price) and was matured in a hundred percent French oak. Sweet fruit is offset by spicy Christmas cake characters on the bouquet and leads to a palate that is musky, savoury, spicy, meaty, with raspberry flavours; it finishes long and very dry. Pure, deep, strong fruit combines with tight and chewy tannins to form a very well structured, ample-weight wine with a firm consistency and well-developed complexity. The finish is slightly warm and whilst it is angular at this stage, that is probably due to bottle shock. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures, and it is a solid, credible drop.
La Curio 2005 Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz is sourced from five different blocks in the area; is sealed under cork and sells for $28. Like a number of previous wines this had also just been bottled and although the bouquet was flat, it did show subtle spices and noticeable vanillin characters. Powdery tannins and deep fruit are perfectly balanced and produce a firm, solid and tightly structured wine that has some class. Black chocolate, coffee, nutmeg biscuits and sarsaparilla flavours completely fill the palate, and finish very long and persistent. This little bundle of joy needs time and is a must buy; rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value.
Piombo 2004 Shiraz sells for $40 to $50. The bouquet was reticent. Backed by pure, quality fruit, balanced acid and dusty tannins, this muscular-weight, firm and solid wine has a well-developed complexity; it is slightly rustic and old fashioned but certainly has character. Blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, and black pepper flavours finish long and persistent. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value (at $50) according to Brian it can be found in the high $30’s which makes it much better value. As it is so tight, it needs time but certainly has loads of potential and should best be approached in 2012 and beyond.
Pieri Azzardo 2005 Shiraz is sealed under cork and sells for a little over $30. Sourced from vines that are only seven to eight years old and grown in sandy soil, this wine shows it is possible to make terrific wine from young vines. 300 cases were produced. It was made by a Red Head employee and is the first release of this wine. The bouquet was certainly different; it showed lifted, perfumed, with sarsaparilla, raspberry and “sun dried grape” aromas. Smooth, tight tannins, balanced acid and pure fruit back a high-quality wine of medium-weight with a supple consistency, almost elegant structure and a sophisticated complexity. Milk chocolate, raspberry, sarsaparilla, more chocolate and a nutty finish; it will be a good food wine. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures around 2009 and beyond. This is another wine that should be poured down the throat of all those people who think that all Australian Shiraz tastes the same.
When we were told the name of
this wine, John thought it was “La Bastardo.”
Pikka 2005 McLaren Vale Shiraz is not sold in Australia but is available in the US for $29, as well as Canada and the UK. It was made from fruit grown by Nat McMurtrie and 500 cases are available; there is one barrel of Cinsaut in the blend. (Most of the fruit from this vineyard is sold to Two Hands.) Silky, dusty tannins and balanced acid combine with generous fruit to produce an ample-weight wine with a supple consistency, a tight, elegant structure and sophisticated complexity. It has a good mouth feel and is just delightful. Spice, chocolate, black cherry, and black coffee flavours complete the package. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it'll hit its straps around 2011.
John
asked Nat if he was related to the original McMurtrie’s who the road is named
after, and Nat replied, “Yes and the road is still there too.”
Lazy Ballerina 2005 Prima Donna Shiraz also contains 6% Viognier, is sealed under cork and sells for $17. A typical Shiraz Viognier black nose, with black fruits and spices; Adam thought it had “carrot cake” characters. Unobtrusive, almost austere tannins provide a soft consistency, and the obvious fruit delivers an open structure. Better than many Shiraz Viognier blends, it's a good party or bistro wine with ripe blackberry, coffee oak, black pepper and apricots. With loads of flavour for the dollar, it will be hugely popular with the masses. Rated as Agreeable with *** for value.
..................A Pinball Machine in a CD/Winery?
Lazy Ballerina 2005 Shiraz
is sealed under cork and sells for $23. Just bottled, although the bouquet was
closed and locked tight, some “interesting aromatics” were lurking. Juicy-fruit
is driving the wine but it is well backed by dusty tannins that finish dry. A
clean, modern wine with very good balance and construction, it is ample-weight
with a supple consistency, solid, tight structure and well-developed complexity.
Black cherry, pepper and graphite characters are attractive. Absolutely worth
cellaring, it is rated as
Recommended with **** for value and the rating should improve as the wine
matures around 2011.
Wilson Gunn 2005 Shiraz will be sold in the UK, and will retail in the US for $28. It will not be available in Australia. The wine was made by Henry Laithwaite, the son of the major backer of Red Heads. Bottled only eight days ago, it was certainly not showing its best, opening with a touch of bottle pong that blew off fairly quickly leaving hints of pepper, plasticine, red and blue fruits. Juicy fruit, chocolate, spicy pepper, blackberry, blackcurrant flavours became more appealing as the wine opened up. Medium-weight with a solid structure and showing some elegance, the wine has been well crafted and balanced. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.
Wilson Gunn 2005 Reserve Shiraz will also only be sold in the UK and the US; only a hundred cases have been produced. Now this is the business. With lifted floral notes, one can only wonder how good this will be when it settles down. Backed by loads of dusty tannins, the wine has excellent balance and construction; is medium-weight with a firm but supple consistency, a tight, solid structure and intricate complexity. Juicy fruit, raspberry, chocolate, blackberry, and eucalyptus flavours finish long, firm, persistent and dry. This is a classy wine and the best of the line-up; rated as Excellent it should be long-lived and I wouldn't approach it until at least 2012.
Wow - what a line up of wines. There was only one that was a disappointment. They ranged from excellent value to average value, and based on the street price, all were fair.
It certainly showed the enormous diversity that one region, let alone a whole country can produce. It is such a shame that many of those people who think that all Australian wines taste the same don't have the opportunity to taste their way through a line up like this one. Many of them were medium-weight, some were ample weight, a few were a bit bigger, but none of them were blackberry oak shakes, and even more importantly to these people, many of theses are wines are food friendly.
As an aside, one thing that did surprise me at Red Heads Studios was that the male toilet contained a sanitary disposal unit; certainly an oxymoron contained in there.
All things being equal, it should be open by the end of the year, so if you are visiting McLaren Vale after that time, this is a compulsory destination.
T
he
next winery is one that flies so far below the radar, it is in danger of
colliding with a submarine, yet I always visit
Longwood for two reasons. Firstly, Phil
Christianson is regarded as one of the nicest guys not just in the
business, but in the area. Secondly, he makes very fine wine where the fruit is
allowed to do the talking, and it talks oh so sweetly. Most of his wine is
exported to the USA, but limited quantities are available in Australia if you
look hard enough.
If you take a walk through Phil's barrel room and cast your eye over the names on the barrels, you will see that he makes wine for some well-respected labels. A fair amount of his work is contract and he is not averse to making a barrel or two for peoples’ own consumption. In addition, he has recently bought the Twelve Staves brand so we can now look forward to some pretty smart wines coming out under that label as well.
One characteristic I have noticed with Phil's wines is that they sometimes open up “McLaren Vale bottle stink” so they invariably need a good decant, but once the stink blows off, you are normally left with a glorious wine. I purchased some of his 1999 Reserve Shiraz, and every time I open a bottle, I not only enjoy it, but am impressed with the quality of the wine and the price.
Longwood 2004 Clean Skin Shiraz sells for a whopping $88 a case. The scents are reductive and porty; not particularly attractive but the palate was a lot better than the nose with loads of plum, chocolate and coffee. Dusty tannins provide a solid backbone; it has a firm consistency and is ample-weight; all in all, again good one for the price. Rated as Agreeable with ***** for value.
An Aussie invention (Victor Mower) is put to good use
as another invention - a wine pump!
Twelve Staves 2004 Shiraz Grenache
is a 60/40 blend, sealed under screwcap and sells in the US for $12. The fruit
was sourced from Blewitt Springs. Unfortunately the wine was too cold, so we had
to warm it up in our hands. Sweet on the uptake with red and black fruits, the
chocolate then kicks in and continues through into a spicy spectrum.
Medium-weight, dusty tannins combined with balanced acid and distinctive fruit
to form a seamless, harmonious agreeable wine that would be perfect in a bistro
situation. Considering its price, it's bloody good value in the US market. Rated
as
Agreeable with **** for value.
Longwood 2004 Shiraz is sealed under cork and sells for $23 in Australia and approximately $25 in the US. 400 cases have been produced. When first opened, there were some slightly reductive stinky characters but history has shown that it will probably blow off with decanting. The tannins are unobtrusive and tight, providing a solid backing for this ample-weight, harmonious wine that is very well-made and most enjoyable. Delightful, pure fruit is driving the wine, but it does have very good balance; flavours of chocolate, black cherry, vanilla, coffee, and more chocolate slide down the gullet with consummate ease and I even ‘accidentally’ swallowed some. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating should improve in the short term.
Longwood 2004 Reserve Shiraz
is sealed under cork and sells in the US for $36. Only 180 cases have been made.
Tannins are very tight and unobtrusive, and solidly back the distinctive fruit,
which drives the wine. Once again when first opened, the characteristic McLaren
Vale bottle stink was in evidence but started to blow off quickly. Just ample in
weight, the consistency is supple, the structure tight and the wine shows a
touch of class. With black cherry, mulberry, milk chocolate, and hints of
oregano on the finish, the wine is drinking well now, but will only get better.
It is worth seeking out and is rated as Highly Recommended with ****
for value, and that rating should improve as the wine hits its peak around 2010
and beyond.
I have never walked out of Longwood feeling anything but happy, and this visit was no exception. As Phil’s influence and complete control on the Twelve Staves label starts to be felt, that is another label that will be worth watching. These wines are certainly not in the typical McLaren Vale stereotype mould, so if you want something different, try and find them.
It was time to say goodbye to Paul until the next trip, and then we headed off for a quick lunch at one of our favourite spots. Needless to say, the Pie King lived up to his name and scoffed down a couple of his favourites; one chicken and one beef. In his role as The Pie King's apprentice, Brian had chunky beef and burgundy pie. I had a turkey (etc) baguette which was quite enjoyable. The coffee was so bad, we had to send the first lot back; dishwater probably would have been stronger. The second lot was drinkable, but that's about all you could say about it.
We got
back into the car and whilst I was playing around with my new GPS navigation
system, programming in our next destination, John asked me a question and I
replied, “Hang on a second, I'm planning a route”. As quick as a flash he
replied “So who isn't”?
Our next appointment was with Mitolo, a winery I have been trying to get to for years, but the timing has never been right, or something else has happened to prevent it, so I was looking forward to this visit. We had arranged to meet at the Middle Pub in Willunga, and I had presumed we would be following them out to the winery, because apparently it is fairly difficult to find. Whilst I was waiting outside, a guy walked into the pub carrying a box of Mitolo. I thought he was probably delivering it, he would come out, and we would head off to the winery together.
Whilst
I was waiting, a middle-aged guy drove up in an old beat-up red car and
attempted to park in a respectably sized spot. After backing and filling six
times, he was still a metre and a half away from the curb. I wonder what raffle
or box of cornflakes he won his driver's licence in!
After about 10 minutes, the mystery man with a box of wine under his arm had not reappeared, so I went into the pub to see if I could track him down. There he was, Paul Carosi was sitting at a table with Kerry White; plenty of bottles and glasses in front of them. They decided our visit was a good opportunity to use the pub as a trial run to see if it would work as a suitable alternative tasting location.
Mitolo is a winery that came from nowhere and has rocketed to stardom in a few short years. It was started by Frank and Simone Mitolo in 1999 with their first release in the difficult 2000 vintage. In 2001 a synergistic relationship was formed when Ben Glaetzer became a partner; now they have a top wine maker to complement Frank's horticultural ability. Judging by their success, and how quickly their 50,000 case production sells out, they must be doing an awful lot right, and living up to their philosophy of "purity, essence, and power”.
Mitolo 2006 Rosé sells for $21, is made from 100% Sangiovese and is sealed under screwcap. The wine had just been bottled and the bouquet certainly showed it with noticeable sulphur doing its damnedest to mask some spicy raspberry and chocolate notes. The tannins are unobtrusive but there; the fruit is sweet on the uptake, with red berry flavours moving into the bitter chocolate spectrum and liquorice; it finishes with good length. A clean, well-balanced, lean wine with a supple consistency and an agreeable complexity, it is well and truly juggable. Rated as Recommended with ** for value, by now the sulpha should have been absorbed.
Mitolo 2005 Jester Shiraz has a recommended retail price of around $27 but can be found for close to $20 on special, and is sealed under screwcap. The nose was incredibly reticent. A very-clean, modern wine; backed by pure fruit and unobtrusive tannins, it has an excellent mouth feel. Loads of flavour here; plenty of toasted oak characters, blackberry, a touch of liquorice and subtle herbs on the finish. Ample-weight with a supple consistency and an agreeable complexity, it's a very drinkable and will be hugely popular but it finishes a bit short. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, it's ready to go now.
Mitolo 2005 Jester Cabernet Sauvignon has a recommended retail price of around $27 but can be found for close to $20 on special, and is sealed under screwcap. The bouquet was dusty but shy. Smooth, unobtrusive tannins are well and truly there, but unfortunately there is a touch of green bitterness to them. The palate shows good juicy fruit with cigar leaf. Ample-weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and agreeable complexity, it's rated as Agreeable with ** for value.
If readers are wondering why there is no mention of the GAM, it was because the bottle we tried, unfortunately was off/wierd. Who says there is no bottle variation under screwcaps. Needles to say, as the tasting was in the hotel, there was no backup available.
Pinball and game machines are taking over McLaren Vale
Mitolo 2004 Reiver Shiraz is made with Barossa fruit, is sealed with screwcap and sells for between $50 and $60 a bottle. Now this is a bouquet worth sniffing; the fruit is classy and you just know it will be creamy. Smooth, tight tannins and pure, distinct fruit combine to form a muscular-weight wine with a supple consistency, a solid, tight structure and well-developed complexity. The mouth feel is good. Black plum, dried oregano, and toasted coffee flavours build slowly across the palate and finish with good length and persistence. Whilst it's okay now, the reality is that it is a baby and needs time. A very solid wine, it's rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value and should hit its straps around 2012.
Mitolo 2004 Savatar is a McLaren Vale Shiraz that sells for between $65 and $80. A very attractive bouquet, the sort you can sniff all day; cigar box, oak and white pepper are dominant. Tightly-grained silky tannins and pure, deep fruit back an excellent structure and produce a sensational mouth feel. Plum, chocolate, blackberry, cigar box, spices and nutmeg are all there, and whilst this is a very fine wine, it needs ages to build further complexity. Muscular-weight with a supple consistency, the structure is seamless but tight, and it's rated as Excellent with *** for value; it should peak around 2014.
Mitolo 2004 Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon is made from McLaren Vale fruit and sells for around $70-$80 and is sealed in screwcap. The wine spent nine months in new French oak and is made in the Amarone method. This is good stuff! A perfect balance has been crafted with silky tannins, unobtrusive acid and pure, strong, top-quality fruit. The palate delivers cigar smoke, blackcurrant, eucalyptus, and coffee flavours that completely fill the mouth and finish with excellent length, and whilst the flavours are not typically Cabernet, the combination works beautifully. A muscular-weight wine that’s locked up tight, it is firm, solid and classy; drinking it now would be the worst possible case of the vininfanticide. Rated as Excellent with *** for value, throw it in the cellar full 2014 and you should be very impressed.
Whilst we were sitting there trying the wines, an old codger (yes, even older than Brian) came up and tried desperately to engage us in conversation. His cunning ploy, which was blatantly obvious, was trying to cadge a free drink or two, but our hosts handled him very well and politely sent him on his “very merry” way.
Holding the tasting in a pub was certainly a novel experience, and the old codger whilst a slight distraction, was part of the atmosphere. From my perspective, tasting at a winery provides more atmosphere and feel, than the local pub. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the wines and can see why Mitolo has become so successful in such a short period of time. The wines are clean, modern, attractive, and although there are no bargains amongst them, the quality is evident across the range.
We
had some spare time so decided to spend it wisely with a palate refreshing, and
brain reviving cup of coffee at a little spot called Fino in Willunga. I thought
the coffee was quite drinkable, but His Pieship, a leading authority on good
coffee 
said. “You are a hard man to please; the coffee was very good.”
Whilst I was dictating this, I said, “For those that don't know, Willunga is not exactly the most scenic place on earth.”
Once again, His Pieship set me straight. “Don't tell the people who live here that; this is the historic town in South Australia.”
Historic it may be, beautiful it is not, and with that we were on our way to our next destination, the Battle of Bosworth. The name alone was enough to appeal to me, and for some time this is a winery that I've been meaning to get to, but for some reason had never been able to make it happen.
What a wonderful scenic setting. Everything from a falling down ancient ruin next to the vines, to a picture postcard house that could have come out of a children’s fairytale.
The tasting took place around the counter of the family kitchen. There is something about tasting wine in this sort of environment that is very appealing; it's not just that people have invited you into their home to try their wine, it's knowing that you are dealing with real people who are putting their heart and soul into their wine, rather than tasting produce in a modern, spotless, sterile tasting facility made by some soulless corporation, whose only objective is to make as much money as humanly possible.
Often when people talk about wine they talk about the romance. This is not romance. This is reality. The reality of real people, just like you and me. People who have got their houses, and in some cases generations of family tradition and heritage on the line. They do it so they can try and make wine that will please us, and in so doing, make a living. Real people indeed!
Joch started off making "shed reds" to supply family friends and local restaurants. In 2001 he produced their first "real" wine, and the business has grown from there.
Battle of Bosworth 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for between $23 and $25 and is sealed under cork. The wine saw 30% new oak and has a 2% Amarone component. The bouquet shows spicy, dusty oak with cassis and black fruits. The wine is well backed by smooth, tight tannins and is ample-weight, and whilst it is very firm, the attractive mouth feel provides a supple consistency. It shows good definition and the luscious fruit delivers liquorice, blackcurrant, and dried herbs that finish with good persistence and reasonable length but it should fill out further with time. Very drinkable now, it's rated as Recommended with *** for value and with a couple of years in the cellar, the rating should improve.
Battle of Bosworth 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for around $25, is sealed under cork, and by the time you read this, will have been released. The aromatics are delightful. Although the tannins are smooth and appear unobtrusive initially, they build up on the palate fairly quickly. The fruit is simply terrific. Blackberry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and eucalyptus flavours finish with more than respectable length and excellent punch. Ample-weight the consistency is supple and the structure is solid, tight and in time should be seamless. Sensationally slurpable, the complexity is well developed and harmonious; rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value.
Battle of Bosworth 2005 Shiraz Viognier is sealed under screwcap and will sell for around $25. It had only been in bottle for two weeks. Although the wine primarily saw old oak, a small amount of French plank has been used. Scents of spices and sweet apricots jam on the bouquet lead to a palate of plums, char, coffee oak and apricot jam. Unobtrusive, smooth tannins combine with fresh acid and obvious fruit to produce an ample-weight, firm, and solid wine with a diverse complexity that will be highly popular with the masses. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.
Battle of Bosworth 2004 White Boar Shiraz retails for $45, and is sealed under cork, but this label will be going to screwcap over time. The cordons of the vines are cut and it is made in the Amarone style “on the vine”. Two hundred and twenty six-packs have been produced. The bouquet is difficult to describe, but shows some nutty characters, lifted alcohol, and attractive floral characteristics are also trying to fight their way out. The pure, deep, concentrated, strong fruit certainly makes one's palate sit up and takes notice delivering blackberry, black chocolate, coffee, liquorice, and herb flavours that finish with fantastic length and persist into the next week. It's a very dark wine with an excellent mouth feel and construction that is well-backed by smooth tannins. The complexity is diverse but harmonious and although it is tight, given time it should be seamless. A classy wine with excellent complexity and depth of fruit, it is rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value and that rating should improve as the wine matures around 2012.
This was our last winery for the day, and it’s always great to finish on a high note. As I walked out, besides feeling good (the ambience certainly was attractive), I realised two things. The wines were all good and this is one of those wineries that is worth watching (and buying their wine) because the chances are if they keep doing what they're doing, they should go places.
It was back to Pie King Bridge Vineyards so that we could pick up the Pie Queen (Sue), the Pie Princess (Hosanna) and one of her friends, and head out to the Victory Hotel for our traditional first night dinner. Normally there is a fairly large group of us, but unfortunately the timing was lousy as almost everyone who we invited couldn't make it for one reason or another. Even Glenn Green, who would turn up even if he wasn't invited, (although he was,) came down with flu and was unable to attend. So it was basically just us and the irrepressible Roger Pike of Marius wines.
Roger is smiling; Sue looks shocked; Hosanna thinks "tell more" 
The first wine was a Turkey Flat 1996 Shiraz which opened with some bottle stink and interesting leathery notes. It initially looked like the bottle stink would blow off fairly quickly and there was some terrific fruit below that. This wine is one of the best that Turkey Flat has made. The tannins have resolved allowing a smooth journey along the palate. Liquorice, chocolate, blackcurrant spectrum fruit were pleasant enough, but there was bottle variation at play here, as this bottle was not as good as many of the previous examples I've consumed; rated as Highly Recommended, rather than Excellent. Unfortunately it didn't look like the bottle stink was going to blow off. However, after an hour in the decanter, it was a different story. The wine had majestically transformed itself with abundant, juicy, blue, red, and black fruits, and mint; it seemed like an absolute baby. So don’t quickly give up on wines with a bit of stink; try a decanting.
Jaspers Hill 1995 Georgias Paddock was the next wine opened. This wine also opened up fairly stinky, but that's not unusual for this particular one; it's almost expected. The bouquet showed very attractive, perfumed blue spectrum fruit, spices, and leathery notes. It still shows abundant powdery tannins which do a great job of supporting the persistent fruit flavours on a long journey across the palate; once they kick in, they just keeps going and going. The palate flavours are dominated by chocolate and mint, with some menthol too. As it opened up, the tannins softened and the red and blue fruit flavours came to the fore and added further complexity. Rated as Excellent initially, once it opened up, it was Outstanding.
We had an appointment booked at Marius Wines for the next day, and when I
stupidly asked how we got there, Roger said, "You can't miss it; there is a sign
out the front saying ‘Pony Poo $2’.” Interesting philosophy! No vineyard sign,
no need to advertise the wine, or try and sell it, so one can only assume that
the pony poo is extremely profitable, and what's more, it's a cash business with
no GST or WET taxes.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1998 Clos des Papes was brought by Roger for something different, as he knew we would have some big Australian reds. (Next time I will bring a Pinot - that will really confuse him.) The wine was a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and had little bits of everything else under the sun. The bouquet showed white pepper and those leathery notes are getting around, this one has it too. Sweet on the uptake, with contrasting spicy flavours, it is almost elegant but has quite nice fruit backing it. An excellent food wine; medium-weight, the tannins are there but are unobtrusive; it finishes with respectable persistence. Whilst it seems a little lean, the raspberry and strawberry flavours on the uptake, combined with the other nuances contributed to a good level of complexity. Rated as Highly Recommended.
For a main course, Roger and I shared a char grilled rib eye on the bone for two. It was served with wilted spinach, mushrooms, and a parcel of herbs; there was gravy on the side. The serving size was certainly generous; in fact it was piggishly large, and whilst the meat was full of flavour, I thought it could have been a little more tender although the others who dug into what Roger and I couldn't consume thought otherwise.
There was one eventful occurrence over dinner, The Pie King was heard to pronounce, “I am full.” When I looked over, there was food left on his plate….. and just when I thought I'd seen and heard everything, the lad must be sick.
Just as we were finishing the main course, a guy walked up to the table carrying two bottles of wine, but I couldn't see the label, so they didn't give me a much needed clue. I knew I recognised him, but after a couple of glasses of wine, couldn't remember exactly when and where we had met. Foolishly, I clutched at straws and thought it was the owner of the Victory, who I'd only met once a few years before, coming over with a couple of bottles for us to try. So I said “hello Doug” and shook his hand. When he told me he wasn't Doug, I felt like Dugging a hole and crawling into it. Very embarrassing. It was Honi Dowling from Chain of Ponds and he took my faux pas with good grace.
When I met Honi at Wine Australia, he asked if he could come to the next one of these bashes and when this one was planned, I dutifully sent him an e-mail invitation and never received a response. Although he couldn't join us for dinner, he wanted to drop off a couple of bottles of wine, which have not been released yet, for me to try. He sat down and joined us for a couple of quick glasses and then had to depart.
Here are the tasting notes of the wines he left with me. They will be available in the first quarter of 2007. The name, The Cachet says it all. Apparently the winery has been stashing away a small amount of their top fruit every year and now created a Cabernet Shiraz Merlot Blend; and its top shelf stuff. There will be 200 presentation six-packs available with one bottle of wine from each of the 1999-2004 vintages inclusive. There also may be very limited quantities of some of the individual vintages available separately too.
Chain of Ponds 2003 The Cachet was decanted for six hours before I went near it and I had the opportunity of looking at it over two days. During that time, the bouquet never really opened up completely but it did show earthy notes, a hint of lifted alcohol, blueberry, milk chocolate, peppermint, and finally a fair whack of pepper. A full-bodied wine well backed by fine, tight, dusty tannins, fresh acid and deep, strong fruit. Its firm, solid, incredibly tight and has a well-developed, diverse complexity. There is nothing sweet about this wine at all, sour black cherry, blueberry, thyme, tar, coffee and pepper flavours finish long and dry; it's a powerful wine. It's seriously good quality, and unlike many 2003's the tannins are not hard, and given time it should be very fine. Rated as Excellent with *** for value, it should hit its straps around 2013.
Chain of Ponds 2004 The Cachet was was also looked at over two days. How do you get two different vintages of wine that have been blended from three grape varieties to be so similar? It's amazing. This wine expresses more youthful fruit, it's also a touch sweeter, but still a very savoury wine, and shows better ripeness. It's perfectly balanced between pure, deep, strong fruit and tight, smooth tannins. Flavours of sour cherry, rich chocolate, dried herbs, tar, hints of aniseed. Rated as Excellent with *** for value, the rating should improve as the wine matures.
Sue
really knows how all look after people, at home she is an absolutely fantastic
hostess. At the appropriate time, she got up from the table and asked us if
anyone would like tea or coffee. A few minutes later, she walked back to the
table and she alone was served dessert. She didn't ask us if we wanted any! Not
impressed. We had words!
As usual, a fun time was had by all but it must have been a very quiet night. On the way home in the car, there was no singing. I must admit, I did miss my annual singsong. Perhaps after last year's effort of Brian and I caterwauling together in the back seat, Sue and John had a powwow before we arrived and decided, quite sensibly, that under no circumstances should they be inflicted with our sorry wailing and that they would do everything within their power to discourage the after-dinner drive home singsong.
What a wonderful first day for this tour, if are all this good, this trip promises to be a beauty. To see how it actually pans out, you'll have to read the forthcoming chapters.
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