$7.95 incl.GST
NEED BA
RCODE
VENUS © DEB4163
Darren De Bortoli
ENJOY RESPONSIBLY
s t n e t n o C Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
contents
Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers PO Box 254 Ashfield, NSW 1800, Australia Phone:
+61 (2) 9747 0005 Fax:
CONTENTs
President’s Message 2
Chairman’s Message 4
The Judging Teams 6
+61 (2) 9747 0097 Website:
www.boutiquewines.com.au
Produced by:
ABN:
57 074 729 007 Phone:
1800 222 757 Fax:
1800 063 151 Email:
publications@crowtherblayne.com.au Website:
www.crowtherblayne.com.au
National Marketing Manager:
Tim Evans Advertising Sales:
Cheryl Archibold Editor:
Julie Cosgrove Production Coordinator:
Kloe Hynds Design:
Aniko Gaspar, Andrew Crabb and Byron Bailey
Sponsors 8
Overall Results 8
National Specialties 9
s d r a Aw Awards
Wine of Show PAGE 10
Trophy Winners and Second Place Winners PAGE 12
Medal Winners PAGE 38
Invited Companies PAGE 41
Printed by:
Newstyle Printing
© This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers or Crowther Blayne & Associates Pty Ltd. Disclaimer: Readers are advised that Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers and the publisher cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of statements made in advertising and editorial; nor the quality of goods and services advertised.
Cape Kidnappers Coastline, New Zealand
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Page 1
s ’ t n e d i s e r P sage Mes
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
President‘s Message
This wine show is unique. Some years ago when Robert Joseph was asked to Chair the challenge he said that it took him a nanosecond to decide. He chaired the show brilliantly for three years. Before that James Halliday chaired for three years and it took little to convince him to participate. The current judges all say that this is their favorite show because it gives them a chance to compare their nation’s best against the strongest in the southern hemisphere. The wines all participate following an invitation by judges who are striving to show that their nation is the strongest – that qualifies the show as unique. This year we were thrilled to welcome Fabricio Portelli from Argentina and Eduardo Brethauer from Chile into the judging team. They immediately became part of the family and by contributing their expertise and their South American influence they changed the dynamics of the challenge and brought it up another notch. There are 500 wines in the challenge. There are 16 classes. Each nation must enter 14 classes. There is a requirement for seven wines selected by each judge in 12 of the 14 classes and eight wines in two of the classes. Yes it’s complicated! All judges judge all wines – blind of course. When the wines are in front of the judges they select the top ten in the class to award a score. The ten scores range from 17 to one. The aggregate scores are calculated with a preset template and managed by my associate Ross Anderson. After lots of testing and a few dry runs, on the day the system worked perfectly. The trophies have been well shared around this year with Argentina, Chile and Australia winning two, New Zealand five and South Africa six with the additional and most sought-after Wine of Show also going to South Africa. Australia won Nation of Show following the calculation of the aggregate scores. The Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers is proud of its record and very proud of the standards we adopt when running wine shows. The Chairman sets the judging standards and runs the judging floor. We
Page 2
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
in administration provide the conditions, the judging environment and the back room people to make the show run like clockwork. Much of the reason for the smooth operation is due to our team of ‘Stewards’. They are all highly trained individuals who have a passion for the wine. This year we had four sommeliers, one winemaker and one retail buyer. They taste a great deal of the product, take notes and enjoy the excitement of discovering wines otherwise inaccessible. We have a junior steward on board each year and the sommeliers carry out training behind the scenes with regard to pouring and tasting. This year the Chairman was Australia’s Huon Hooke. Annually the position of Chairman of the challenge rotates and Michael Fridjhon of South Africa takes the role in 2012.
Judith Kennedy President Five Nations Wine Challenge CEO Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers Inc
A family operated boutique vineyard and winery, Leeuwin Estate, one of the founding wineries of Western Australia’s renowned Margaret River district, is particularly proud to be consistently recognised amongst the great icon wines of the world.
award-winning restaurant, enjoy spectacular alfresco summertime concerts, inspect Leeuwin’s unique collection of contemporary Australian Art, experience a behind the scenes tour of the winemaking process, utilise the private boardroom facilities and of course, savour Leeuwin’s outstanding premium wines. A scenic charter flight service from Perth to the Estate’s private airstrip is available. The wines of Leeuwin Estate can be found in fine establishments in 30 markets.
A benchmark producer with an outstanding international reputation, Leeuwin attracts thousands of discerning wine connoisseurs each year. Visitors to the picturesque Estate can indulge in gourmet cuisine from the
Leeuwin Estate Winery Stevens Rd, Margaret River, Western Australia (+ 61 8) 9759 0000 | www.leeuwinestate.com.au
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
s ’ n a m Chairsage Mes
Chairman‘s Message
Adding two new nations to the Tri Nations to make it the Five Nations Wine Challenge was something of a gamble, but it’s a gamble that has paid off handsomely. In fact, the competition has been re-invented and re-born – the arrival of Chile and Argentina giving the judging an entirely new dimension. For the three ‘old’ judges, meeting and judging with Eduardo and Fabricio was a great pleasure. They fitted in perfectly, quickly understanding the peculiarities of this most unique of wine competitions and helping work out some of the teething issues. In the end, I think each of the five nations can be happy with the results – each came away with some successes. Inevitably, each of the five nations has its own strengths and weaknesses in grape varieties and wine-styles, and the framing of the classes can never suit everyone perfectly. It’s a work in progress and, while successful this year, it may undergo some minor modifications for next year. For the judges and our keen young brigade of stewards, most of whom are sommeliers, it’s a real revelation to taste wines from makers and regions that we would seldom otherwise get the opportunity to taste. Many of the wines I tasted for the first time this year are truly outstanding and deserve to have a global audience. We can only hope as many people as possible avail themselves of the opportunity to taste these wines at the public exhibitions. I congratulate all those producers who enjoyed success this year and encourage those who entered without doing as well as they’d hoped – but I would remind them that simply being invited to enter is an honour and a distinction in itself. I commend these remarkable wines to you.
Huon Hooke Chairman Five Nations Wine Challenge
Page 4
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Wine Empire, The old & rare wine specialists... The Wine Empire is an online wine & spirits merchant specialising in old & rare, small batch and premium Australian & International wines and single malt whiskies. Through our network of domestic and international supply contacts, we serve our growing database of wine buyers that take pleasure in collecting and drinking these ‘hard to find’ aged wines. Why not join our ‘Wine Empire bimonthly aged wine dozen offer’ and experience a better way to enjoy aged wine. The Wine Empire also offers an online Auction platform – Empire Wine Auctions, which assists our customers in both buying and selling collections of wine. For more information, please contact: Ross Anderson Tel: +61 2 8060 4650 Mob: + 61 431 512 979 Email: ross@wineempire.com.au Web: www.wineempire.com.au & www.empireauctions.com.au Use Promo code ‘5NAT2011’ to receive 10% off your 1st purchase. Note – not all offers are listed online, so Sign Up or contact us today for the latest wine offers!
g n i g d u J e Th ms Tea
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
The Judging teams
Eduardo Brethauer Chile
Judges
Huon Hooke, Chairman – Australia Michael Fridjhon – South Africa Bob Campbell MW – New Zealand Fabricio Portelli – Argentina Eduardo Brethauer – Chile Chief Steward
Jeremy Foot Senior Stewards
Tony Venn Jeff Aston James Audas Shalom Chin Chris Rose Julian Abouzeid Junior Trainee Steward
Ewan Hardeman Logistics and Photography
Ross Anderson Logistics and Wine Identification
Tim Donelan
Page 6
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Fabricio Portelli Argentina
I am enjoying judging with such important people who know so much about their wines, and for me being here and telling them and sharing with them my opinion and vision about Argentinean wines, is really an honour and a very interesting experience. Argentina makes great Malbec however I am very interested to see how our Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will do in this challenge as this is the first time our nation has competed in such a competition. The way we judge here is very interesting – you have in front of you all the wines in the class and you have to choose the best ten, and then you have to share with the panel and defend your ten best wines and this way you will find the Trophy, Double Gold and Golds – it’s a very uncommon and original but very effective way of looking for those wines that are the best of their country in each class. Argentina is in the beginning of our Malbec revolution, and of course I expect that in the future, we can show and share with the world our other wines, like the blends, our Cabernet Sauvignon, our Torrontes of course – a unique and very vibrant white wine, and I hope that everybody can and will enjoy our wines in Sydney and around the world.
I have come from my home city Santiago to judge for the first year in the Five Nations Wine Challenge in Sydney. It’s a great privilege to have the best wines from five nations all here on my table...it’s unique and really a privilege being here as one of the jury. I think this contest is very relevant and important for the Chilean industry because we export ninety percent of our wines, our domestic market is very little, so it’s great to have this promotion and to be here and to compete with the best wines of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. It’s really a great goal and a great achievement for Chile. I have great expectations with our Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernets and of course I would like that in the following years we would also have a Carmenere category. In the last ten years there has been great change in the Chilean wine industry. Our flagship is Cabernet Sauvignon, but great things are happening with Carmenere, Syrah and in recent years Sauvignon Blanc. We mainly export Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, and that’s amazing because ten or twenty years ago we didn’t produce white wines at all – now Sauvignon is a very firm and consistent category in the world. This year I only invited a few of our best Syrah but I’m very sure that next year we will give a very tough fight to Shiraz from the other competing nations. These days we have a very tough world wine market with very good wines from everywhere – some countries where we didn’t expect very good quality, are now producing good wines, so it’s very important for our countries in the Southern Hemisphere to make a difference, to produce wines with more identity, with more character, with more personality. More recently in Chile, we have been doing a lot of work, discovering ancient grapes, planting in more extreme zones and terroirs, like very close to the sea or very high in the Andes Mountains, and I think that is the clue for our country, to go a little bit further, to go a little bit to the extreme and produce wines with really good character and really great quality.
g n i g d u J e Th s m a e T
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
The Judging teams
Michael Fridjhon South Africa
I’ve been the South African Judge at this competition since its inception in 2003 always believing that the competition is important for my nation because it has enabled us as a wine producing country to calibrate against other important players in the international market. I don’t see that necessarily as a kind of competitive advantage or disadvantage – I see it as an essential part of understanding our place in the world of wine and how we line up alongside the other players who also have a significant role to play, not only in the European markets where obviously everybody rushed in the past, but increasingly as we look towards the Asian markets. We need to understand where we might find a point of difference for ourselves. As a country, I think that South Africa has made enormous progress as a wine producer in terms of its technology, its global competitiveness and its marketing skills since this competition began, and so in a sense we look forward one day to perhaps winning it, but equally we know that a good performance here enables producers to take those wines to other markets and express their virtues in a way that may not necessarily have been evident to the producer or to the consumer ten years ago. Over the same period of time, and because I suppose South Africa itself has been changing and the world market has made a much greater impact on domestic wine styles than would have been the case in the era of isolation, we see for example that Pinotage, instead of being inaccessible and made for vinous masochists, has been converted into something softer, more accessible but not necessarily simpler. In the last three to five years, we’ve seen some really fine Pinotage being produced, likewise Chenin Blanc, which is for the South African producer, more or less the vinous equivalent. We have got thousands of hectares of old Chenin Blanc vineyards, and instead of treating it as a kind of a workhorse for every winery, those who understand how to work with the grape and do have old vines as a resource, have been able to go out and make wines that certainly rival the best of the Loire Valley in France. It is of course easier to predict who’s going to win the Five Nations Challenge, than to predict who is going to win the Rugby World Cup, but we think that our secret weapon is that no one, including the coach, knows what team will finally appear on the day, and with some chance of fooling everyone, we’re hoping to repeat our previous successes, and embarrass the Kiwis yet again.
Bob Campbell MW New Zealand
This is my ninth year judging the Five Nations Wine Challenge (formerly Tri Nations) and to me it is the most important wine competition I judge in any year. This Challenge is important because we are looking at terrific wines, the absolute cream of the crop from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and now Chile and Argentina – and that from my perspective gives me an idea where New Zealand fits with other important wine producing countries. It also shows me the state-of-the-art wines from those other countries, so it’s a double whammy that’s really good stuff. From the winemaker’s point of view, it’s also important because it promotes their brand overseas, particularly if they do well, but just being invited to enter the competition is a significant achievement in its own right, but it also lets them see how their wines fit with the wines of the world. We (New Zealand) are at the bottom of the world and it’s easy to get your head thoroughly buried in the sand, so this is a good chance to extract head from sand and see what’s going on and see how our wines relate to them. I think the addition of Chile and Argentina is fantastic. From my point of view I like to see the best that those countries have to offer and they are both rapidly evolving and dynamic wine industries so it’s going to be nice to keep pace with that. Australia won the first six years and New Zealand has won the last two which is a good sign – we don’t yet know of course who is going to win the ninth, but fingers crossed that we can do to the others what the All Blacks will hopefully be doing to their sporting teams in a few months time. With regard to New Zealand’s wine industry probably the most notable development is the slowdown in expansion of vineyards and temporary surplus of wine that is around. I guess one of the most interesting things on the wine scene of late is the introduction of new varieties in a slightly more than experimental way – Gruner Veltliner is the first one that springs to mind, Arneis, Garnacha, we’ve got quite a lot happening and not all of those seeds will reach fruition and produce necessarily great wine, but there’s certainly some departures from the traditional styles that we’ve been making in the offing I think.
Jeremy (Freddy) Foot Chief Steward
This is my third year as Steward for this outstanding wine event and once again working with a cracking team of Sommeliers and one very keen winemaker who joined the gang this year. Judith Kennedy calls us the Munchkins because as a group we were invited to steward the 2009 competition as sommelier students. We all work here for five days because in our profession it’s great to have a look at something a little bit different and generally inaccessible. Two of our group returned early from overseas for this outstanding opportunity. After two days of sorting and labelling we were ready for the five judges. All the wines are poured blind of course and with sommelier skills behind us we set up and prepare for the judges in a minimum of time. Chairman Huon Hooke demands the best and we deliver it. Part of our role here is to educate a Junior Steward each year and though he spends most of his time washing glasses we tutor him in pouring and tasting and hope that next year he will return for more hard work and a greater learning curve! Who’s going to win the world cup? Mate, I’ve got no idea, just stick to the wine...
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Page 7
d n a s r o s n Spo rall Results Ove
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
sPONsOrs aNd OvErall rEsulTs
OvErall rEsulTs summary
WiNE OF shOW
South Africa's Nederburg Wines 2009 Muscadel NaTiON OF shOW
Australia
Class 1
Sparkling
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
ARG
CHi
24
16
60
Aromatic White
91
50
127
68
9
Chardonnay
68
105
101
30
41
Class 4
Sauvignon Blanc
x
98.4
90.4
28.8
58.4
Class 5
Other Whites
140
58
123
4
20
Class 6
White Blends
50
x
88
x
x
Class 7
Rose
78
76.8
x
52.2
x
Class 8
Pinot Noir
145
162
31
2
5
Class 9
Merlot
180
44
52
5
64
Class 10
Malbec
x
x
x
118
20
Class 11
Bordeaux Blends
90
78
83
78
16
Class 12
Red Blends
137
62
19
78
49
Class 13
Other Reds
30
114
60
39
102
Class 14
Shiraz
134
97
65
12
37
Class 15
Cabernet Sauvignon
158
77
32
5
73
Class 16
Dessert
76.8
45.6
135.2
x
18.4
1492.8
1197.8
1030.6
536
572.8
WINNING NATION OF CLASS
South Africa’s Paul Cluver 2009 Chardonnay
PagE 8
SA
130
Class 2
WhiTE WiNE OF shOW
New Zealand’s Kidnapper Cliffs 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
NZ
115
Class 3
Country of Show
rEd WiNE OF shOW
AUST
x NO PARTICIPATION
TrOPhy aNd mEdal summary Trophy
AUS
NZ
SA
ARG
CHi
Total
2
5
6
2
2
17
Runner up/Double Gold
7
4
2
2
2
17
Double Gold
8
5
5
1
2
21
Gold
19
10
11
9
6
55
Total
4830
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
National Specialties
l a n o Natilties a i c e p S By Ross Anderson
Argentina Malbec has long been known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. Malbec is also known to a lesser degree as Auxerrois & Côt, mainly in France. The grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956 when frost killed off 75% of the crop. However, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a ‘national variety’ of sort that is uniquely identified with Argentina. Argentina’s most highly rated Malbec wines originate from Mendoza’s high altitude wine regions located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains between 2,800 and 5,000 feet elevation. High altitude Mendoza has attracted many notable foreign winemakers and today, there are several Malbecs from the region scoring over 95 points in the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. Malbec creates an inky, deep red (or violet) coloured, intense wine with ample tannins, so it is also commonly used in blends with Merlot and Cabernet to create rich, dark and juicy Bordeaux-style blends.
South Africa Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold of Stellenbosch University. Four seeds from this cross varietal (Pinot Noir and Cinsault) were planted by Perold in an experimental garden. The young plants were moved to Elsenburg Agricultural College and in 1935 grafted onto rootstocks. The resultant propagation was christened Pinotage, and the first wine was made in 1941. Pinotage has good depth of flavour, a unique individual fruity refreshing wine. Some tasters remark on a bananalike taste of bramble fruits and a velvety texture. It’s a dinner wine, with good levels of alcohol giving depth and structure and cellaring ability.
Australia Sémillon is widely grown in Australia, particularly in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney. Something truly unique to Australia is a high quality, dry style semillon, which when released as a bottle aged example exhibit a buttercupyellow colour, burnt toast or honey characteristics on the nose and excellent complex flavours on the palate, with a long finish and soft acid. Sémillon is also finding favour with Australian producers outside of the Hunter Valley, particularly in the Barossa Valley and Margaret River regions. The Adelaide Hills is becoming a flourishing region for Semillon with the cooler climate producing some wines of great complexity.
New Zealand Pinot Noir is typically fruit-driven, forward and early maturing in the bottle. The wines tend to be quite fullbodied and very approachable in their youth. High quality examples of New Zealand Pinot noir, particularly from the Martinborough region, are distinguished by savoury, earthy flavours with a greater complexity. Central Otago Pinot Noir is generally big, soft textured, wines rich in flavours, high in alcohol and low in natural acid, however subtle, finer, examples are produced, usually at the higher price points. Specialist producers in the Waipara and Canterbury regions are producing a range of Pinot Noir styles, from bold, tannic and dark new-world style ‘Reserves’ to finer, more Burgundian-influenced Pinot Noir. Marlborough Pinot Noir is often fragrant and appealingly round whilst multi-area blends made by large producers (usually blending Marlborough, Waipara, and Central Otago fruit) can offer good value.
Chile Carménère has found a new home in Chile. The varietal originates from Bordeaux, is a member of the Cabernet family of grapes and along with Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot, is considered part of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux. Chile now has the world’s largest plantations, with more than 8,800 hectares (2009) cultivated in the Central Valley of South America As such, Chile produces the vast majority of Carménère wines available today and as the Chilean wine industry grows, more experimentation is being carried out on Carménère’s potential as a blending grape, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon. For information on the availability of these varieties contact ross@boutiquewines.com.au
Craggy Range Winery, New Zealand Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Page 9
Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
Wine of show
Tariro Masayiti (White Winemaker)
Wilhelm Pienaar (Red Winemaker)
Nederburg’s history, dating back to 1791, is remarkable for the pioneering and visionary ideals of those associated with the winery. Today, Nederburg is South Africa’s most widely awarded name in wine. Phillipus Wolvaart established the 49 hectare farm of Paarl Valley and in just six years the land was completely fruitful. Through revolutionary techniques such as cold fermentation, Johann Graue, who took ownership in 1937, established Nederburg as the leading producer of quality South African wines. During the late 1930’s, Nederburg’s owner, Johann Graue, pioneered the philosophy that a great wine starts in the vineyard and evolves through every step of the winemaking process. To this day, nothing has changed in the company’s approach. From the state-of-the-art Ernita Nursery, where great care is taken in marrying fruit-carrying vines and rootstock, to the ideal matching of terroir and varietal, Nederburg’s vineyards yield outstanding quality fruit season after season. Today, Nederburg’s tradition continues with wines that people love to drink. Grape varieties are matched with location to yield fine fruit flavors. Nederburg’s viticulturists, winegrowers and winemakers all work together with passion, patience and precision to nurture the vines and ensure the grapes are picked at the ideal time for vinification.
Page 10 Five Nations Wine Challenge 2011
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
WiNE OF shOW
COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Nederburg Wines WiNE
NEdErburg WiNEs PrivaTE biN EmiNENCE NOblE laTE harvEsT musCadEl 2009 WEbsiTE
www.distell.co.za
Nederburg is South Africa’s leading and most decorated name in wine, winner of more international and domestic awards than any other in the country. They were recently judged the most successful producer on the SA Trophy Wine Show. The winery itself was an inaugural winner of the international Wine Tourism Award for Cape Town, presented by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. The brand’s universal appeal lies in Nederburg’s ability to make classically structured wines with fruit-rich flavours. The hallmark combination of finesse and fruit is evident in all their wines. The winery is supported by an extensive investment in superior plant material, propagated at a dedicated nursery, Ernita, near Wellington, long-standing relationships with supplier growers, ongoing viticultural research and a cellar that comfortably accommodates production for growth markets, as well as specialist, connoisseur wines. Razvan Macici heads the team as Nederburg cellarmaster. He is supported by two winemakers who work closely under his direction. They are Wilhelm Pienaar, who produces the red wines and Tariro Masayiti, who makes the whites.
Razvan Macici (Cellarmaster)
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 11
CLASS 1
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
sParkliNg WiNEs
NEW ZEalaNd
iT iS MUCH MORE DiFFiCULT TO SHOW THE DivERSiTY OF THE NEW WORLD iN THiS CLASS. THEY ARE ALL vERY CONSiSTENT BUT NOT COMPLEX. SOME OF THEM WiTH A TOUCH OF OXiDATiON BUT WiTH SiMPLE FLAvOURS SO THEY ARE MORE DiFFiCULT TO DRiNK. THE MAJORiTY OF THEM ARE DRiNKABLE AND ENJOYABLE. Fabricio Portelli
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Hawkesbridge WiNE
marlbOrOugh mEThOdE TradiTiONNEllE ChardONNay, PiNOT NOir 2007 WEbsiTE
www.nzwinesociety.co.nz JudgE’s COmmENT
THE WiNE SHOWS SOME iNTERESTiNG FLAvOURS WiTH DELiCATE AROMAS, DEEP LENGTH AND GENERALLY REFRESHiNG. Fabricio Portelli FabriCiO’s FOOd maTCh
A natural with seafood and would well suit steamed Barramundi and Chinese fried rice.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Brown Brothers WiNE
PaTriCia PiNOT ChardONNay 2005 WEbsiTE
www.brownbrothers.com.au
PagE 12 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CLASS 2
sOuTh aFriCa
arOmaTiC WiNEs
A WiDER THAN USUAL RANGE OF vARiETiES AND STYLES ALL WiTH vARYiNG LEvELS OF SWEETNESS. THE BEST ALL SHOWED vERY PRECiSE AROMATiCS AND GREAT DETAiL ON THE PALATE. SOME LACKED FRESHNESS AND A FEW PRESENTED WiTH MARKED BiTTERNESS. Michael Fridjhon
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Jordan WiNE
riEsliNg 2009 WEbsiTE
www.jordanwines.com JudgE’s COmmENT
REALLY FiNE, SPiCY BUT NOT OiLY AROMATiCS PERFECTLY BALANCED iN THE MOUTH, FOOD FRiENDLY AND REFRESHiNG AND WiTH A SAvOURY FiNiSH. Michael Fridjhon miChaEl’s FOOd maTCh
Delicious at an indonesian restaurant or with smoked salmon.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Howard Booysen Wines WiNE
riEsliNg 2010 WEbsiTE
www.jordanwines.com
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 13
Martinborough Vineyard Celebrating 30 Years of Iconic NZ Wine “Rated as one of the Top NZ Wineries” – Bob Campbell MW Proud to have the following three of our wines chosen for the 5 Nations Competition: Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir – Champion Pinot Noir 2009 Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay – Runner up 2010 Martinborough Vineyard Riesling Phone: +64 6 306 9955 Email: winery@martinborough-vineyard.co.nz www.martinborough-vineyard.co.nz
THE ESSENCE OF CENTRAL OTAGO.... ....A REFLECTION OF PLACE Awarded The Trophy For Class 3 – Aromatics - Tri-Nations 2010.
73 FELTON ROAD, BANNOCKBURN, CENTRAL OTAGO • TEL +64 3 445 3445 • WWW.MTDIFFICULTY.CO.NZ
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CLASS 3
NEW ZEalaNd
ChardONNay
A vERY STRONG CLASS BUT WiTH A WiDE RANGE OF STYLES, MAKiNG UNANiMiTY BETWEEN THE JUDGES DiFFiCULT. GENERALLY THE OAK WAS WELL HANDLED AND FRUiT WAS FRESH, RATHER THAN OvER RiPE. Michael Fridjhon
r e n n i W y h p o Tr
w o h S f o e White Win COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Paul Cluver WiNE
ChardONNay 2009 WEbsiTE
www.cluver.com JudgE’s COmmENT
RESTRAiNED AND EXCEPTiONALLY FiNE, WiTH ELEGANT LiME-CiTRUS NOTES DOMiNATiNG, OAK WELL USED AND PERFECTLY iNTEGRATED, BRiNGiNG SPiCE AND GRiLLED HAZELNUT NOTES AND ADDiNG TEXTURE AND LENGTH. Michael Fridjhon miChaEl’s FOOd maTCh
Smoked duck breast on a salad of celery and apple.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Leeuwin Estate WiNE
arT sEriEs ChardONNay 2008 WEbsiTE
www.leeuwinestate.com.au
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 15
CLASS 4
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
sauvigNON blaNC
NEW ZEalaNd
OvERALL A STRONG CLASS WiTH MOST WiNES ACHiEviNG GOOD PURiTY AND PRONOUNCED FLAvOURS. THERE iS LESS EMPHASiS ON COMPLEXiTY THROUGH BARREL FERMENTATiON ALTHOUGH GOOD LEES iNFLUENCE WAS EviDENT AND REWARDED. Bob Campbell MW
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Mount Riley WiNE
limiTEd rElEasE sauvigNON blaNC 2010 WEbsiTE
www.mountriley.co.nz JudgE’s COmmENT
THiS WiNE ACHiEvED iMPRESSivE PURiTY WiTH CLASSiCAL SAUviGNON BLANC vARiETAL CHARACTERS WiTH GOOD WEiGHT AND MOUTH-FEEL. Bob Campbell MW bOb’s FOOd maTCh
Freshly shucked Pacific oysters garnished with small lemon wedges and thinly sliced grain bread with a slight smear of real butter. Wonderful at any time of the day.
Joint Place Winners Second COuNTry
COuNTry
Chile
New Zealand
WiNEry
WiNEry
Casa Marin
Saint Clair
WiNE
WiNE
CiPrEsEs viNEyard sauvigNON blaNC 2010
PiONEEr blOCk 19, bird blOCk sauvigNON blaNC 2010
WEbsiTE
WEbsiTE
www.casamarin.cl
www.saintclair.co.nz
PagE 16 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CLASS 5
ausTralia
OThEr WhiTE variETiEs
A vERY DivERSE CLASS, iN AGES AS WELL AS vARiETiES, SO iT’S iNEviTABLY A vERY DiSPARATE RESULT, WiTH POETiC JUSTiCE PREvAiLiNG AND TWO QUiTE DiFFERENT WiNES ACHiEviNG iDENTiCAL SCORiNG AND THEREFORE iNSEPARABLE FOR THE TROPHY WiNE. Huon Hooke
r e n n i W y h p o Tr Joint
COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Bellingham WiNE
ThE bErNard sEriEs rOussaNNE 2010 WEbsiTE
www.bellinghamwines.com JudgE’s COmmENT
A LOvELY SOFT, BEAUTiFULLY FLAvOURED AND TEXTURED, SUBTLY WOODED STYLE. Huon Hooke huON’s FOOd maTCh
Chicken with a creamy sauce.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec Thank you
Cristian Morales of TNT Mendoza for rescuing the Argentinean wines for this year’s challenge! Judith Kennedy - Founding CEO & President Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers Inc.
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 17
CLASS 5
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
OThEr WhiTE variETiEs
ausTralia
A vERY DivERSE CLASS, iN AGES AS WELL AS vARiETiES, SO iT’S iNEviTABLY A vERY DiSPARATE RESULT, WiTH POETiC JUSTiCE PREvAiLiNG AND TWO QUiTE DiFFERENT WiNES ACHiEviNG iDENTiCAL SCORiNG AND THEREFORE iNSEPARABLE FOR THE TROPHY WiNE. Huon Hooke
r e n n i W y h p o Tr Joint
COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Peter Lehmann WiNE
margarET sEmillON 2005 WEbsiTE
www.peterlehmannwines.com JudgE’s COmmENT
A CLASSiC SEMi-MATURED DELiCATE LOW-ALCOHOL, UNWOODED DRY WHiTE. Huon Hooke huON’s FOOd maTCh
Pan-fried whiting or snapper.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Thomas WiNE
CEllar rEsErvE braEmOrE sEmillON 2006 WEbsiTE
www.thomaswines.com.au
PagE 18 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CLASS 6
sOuTh aFriCa
WhiTE blENds
THiS CLASS iS A MYSTERY AND A NiCE SURPRiSE. THERE ARE WiNES WiTH DEEP ACiDiTY AND OTHERS ARE vERY FLORAL AND CALM DEPENDiNG ON THE BLEND, THE MOOD AND CHARACTER OF THE GRAPES. A SHORT BUT vERY CONSiSTENT FLiGHT. Eduardo Brethauer
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Tokara WiNE
dirECTOr’s rEsErvE WhiTE sauvigNON blaNC sEmillON 2009 WEbsiTE
www.tokara.co.za JudgE’s COmmENT
A WiNE WiTH NiCE FLORAL NOTES OF ASPARAGUS AND GREEN BEANS. ALSO SHOWiNG PASSiON FRUiT AND LiME. FRESH AND FULL-BODiED, LONG AND CRiSPY. A WiNE TO ENJOY EATiNG SEAFOOD AT SUNSET! Eduardo Brethauer EduardO’s FOOd maTCh
Ceviche of tuna and scallops with sweet Rocoto sauce (red hot Peruvian-style).
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Cape Point vineyards WiNE
isliEdh sauvigNON blaNC sEmillON 2010 WEbsiTE
www.noordhoekvineyards.co.za
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 19
CLASS 7
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
rOsÉ
ausTralia
A BiG RANGE OF STYLES, FROM vERY DELiCATE AND PALE TO FULLER-BODiED AND DARK, FROM BONE-DRY TO SLiGHTLY SWEET, FROM PROvENÇAL COPiES TO EXUBERANT NEW WORLD STYLES. iT’S A PiTY THE STANDARD WAS NOT HiGH. Huon Hooke
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Forrest Estate WiNE
TaTTy bOglEr PiNOT NOir 2010 WEbsiTE
www.forrest.co.nz JudgE’s COmmENT
A RiCH, FULLER FLAvOURED AND COLOURED STYLE WiTH A WELL-BALANCED TOUCH OF SWEETNESS, MAKiNG iT A GENUiNE CROWD-PLEASER. Huon Hooke huON’s FOOd maTCh
Coq-au-vin
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Argentina WiNEry
Kaiken WiNE
malbEC 2010 WEbsiTE
www.monteswines.com
PagE 20 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
“Tapanappa is the proud custodian of three unique and distinguished sites; the Tiers Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills’ Piccadilly Valley, Foggy Hill Vineyard from the Parawa subregion of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Whalebone Vineyard in Wrattonbully’s Joanna district.” Brian Croser, Winemaker www.tapanappawines.com.au
‘TAPANAPPA T ERROIR ’
Tap_advert_215x150_FA.indd 1
30/08/11 12:11 PM
TERRAVIN WINES – MARLBOROUGH NEW ZEALAND TerraVin was founded in 1999 when Mike and Jo Eaton planted the Eaton Family Vineyard. TerraVin vineyards are located in the Southern Valleys of the Wairau Valley in the region of Marlborough. Estate Vineyards now cover 39 hectares of vines. Mike Eaton started viticulture in Marlborough in 1981 and has been involved in the development of major vineyards throughout New Zealand in particular Pinot Noir. He was one of the only viticulturist to focus early on the cultivation of Pinot Noir on the Southern Valley hillsides of Marlborough. PHILOSOPHY • organic vineyards with biodynamic practises • focus on Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc that are expressive of individual vineyard sites. • Pinot Noir is grown on the gentle North facing slopes of the Southern Valleys of Marlborough. • Winemaking is non-interventionist allowing the low yields and work done in the vineyard to deliver natural site expression in all wines.
Mike and Jo Eaton
CLASS 8
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
PiNOT NOir
NEW ZEalaNd
A CLASS iN TWO HALvES – THE REALLY SMART WiNES AND THE ALSO-RANS. WE HAD vERY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE BEST WiNES. MANY WiNES LACKED PiNOT CHARM AND FiNESSE. TOP WiNES RANGED FROM DELiCATE AND ETHEREAL TO POWERFUL AND STRUCTURED STYLES. Huon Hooke
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Paringa Estate WiNE
Estate Pinot Noir 2009 WEbsiTE
www.paringaestate.com.au JudgE’s COmmENT
A WONDERFULLY DEEP, COMPLEX WiNE WiTH SUPERB COLOUR, AND A MÉLANGE OF SPiCE AND DARK FRUiT AROMAS THAT WAS TRULY FASCiNATiNG – A GREAT PiNOT. Huon Hooke huON’s FOOd maTCh
Roast guinea fowl.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Akarua WiNE
rEsErvE PiNOT NOir 2009 WEbsiTE
www.akarua.com
PagE 22 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
‘Australian Winery of the Year’ James Halliday Wine Companion 2007 Paringa Estate winery was established in 1985 by owner & winemaker Lindsay McCall. The first vines were planted in 1985 & by 1990 10 acres were fully planted encompassing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Shiraz. The first vintage occurred in 1988 with 3 tones of fruit. In 2010 Paringa Estate managed over 55 acres of vineyard & processed in excess of 220 tones of fruit, or 16,000 cases of wine. In 2007 James Halliday awarded Paringa Estate his inaugural “Australian Winery of The Year” in recognition of Lindsay’s consistently high standard of wine. Also in 2007 Lindsay was nominated Gourmet Wine Traveller “Australian Winemaker of the Year” for his contribution to the Australian Wine Industry. Winemaker Lindsay McCall has “an absolute gift for winemaking” according to James Halliday, who says his wines are of “the highest quality with a distinguished pedigree”. Paringa is a well established brand predominately known for Pinot Noir, which consistently wins National & International Awards. Recent awards include Best Pinot Noir of Show in the 2010 Royal Melbourne Wine Show & the 2009 Royal Sydney Wine Show. However in recent years Paringa Shiraz has had even more success. In the 2006 Royal Sydney Wine Show the 2004 Estate Shiraz won a record six Trophies including Best Wine of Show. Three years later in 2009 Paringa returned to win five Trophies including Best Shiraz in Show & Best Wine of the Show for the 2006 Estate Shiraz. Paringa Estate is an iconic producer not only within the local Mornington Peninsula region, but also within the wider Australian Wine industrycurrently exporting to the United Kingdom, Denmark, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China.
Paringa Estate Winery & Restaurant 44 Paringa Rd Red Hill South 3937 www.paringaestate.com.au (03) 59892 669
CLASS 9
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
mErlOT
ausTralia
A CLASS OF PEAKS AND TROUGHS WiTH SOME ATTRACTivE WiNES SHOWiNG iNTENSE, BRiGHT FRUiT FLAvOURS WHiLE OTHERS APPEARED TO BE DULL AND DRYiNG OUT. Bob Campbell MW
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
Chile
WiNEry
Cono Sur WiNE
20 barrEls mErlOT 2008 WEbsiTE
www.conosur.com JudgE’s COmmENT
A BiG, iNTENSE AND RATHER COMPLEX WiNE WiTH STRONG, RiPE BERRY FRUiT FLAvOURS. A RiCH AND WARMiNG WiNE WiTH POTENTiAL. Bob Campbell MW bOb’s FOOd maTCh
Slow-cooked lamb or beef with a range of seasonal root vegetables.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Penny’s Hill WiNE
malPas rOad mErlOT 2010 WEbsiTE
www.pennyshill.com.au
PagE 24 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CLASS 10
argENTiNa
malbEC
A vERY STRONG CLASS ALBEiT FROM ONLY TWO COUNTRiES. THERE WAS A CONTRAST iN STYLES BETWEEN THE RiPER, JUiCiER ARGENTiNEAN STYLES AND PEPPERY, COOLER CLiMATE STYLES – BOTH vALiD. Bob Campbell MW
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
Argentina WiNEry
Salentein WiNE
rEsErvE malbEC 2009 WEbsiTE
www.bodegasalentein.com JudgE’s COmmENT
FRUiTY, SUCCULENT AND viBRANT WiTH iMPRESSivE CONCENTRATiON BUT RETAiNiNG A SUPPLE, JUiCY TEXTURE. OAK iS CLEARLY EviDENT BUT APPROPRiATE FOR SUCH A YOUTHFUL EXAMPLE. Bob Campbell MW bOb’s FOOd maTCh
T-bone or rib-eye steak grilled over an open fire or wood barbeque served with roasted potatoes garnished with fresh herbs.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Chile
WiNEry
Loma Larga WiNE
malbEC 2009 WEbsiTE
www.lomalarga.com
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 25
CLASS 11
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
bOrdEaux blENds
ausTralia
A GOOD CLASS WiTH MANY HiGHLiGHTS AND OUR PREFERENCES WERE WiDELY SPREAD. THESE WERE A NUMBER OF OvER-RiPE OvER-EXTRACTED, BLACK WiNES WiTH FEROCiOUS TANNiNS. ON THE OTHER HAND MANY STYLiSH, ELEGANT WiNES WiTH BRiGHT, FRESH FLAvOURS AND SOFT MEASURED TANNiNS. Huon Hooke
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Craggy Range WiNE
sOPhia mErlOT CabErNET FraNC 2009 WEbsiTE
www.craggyrange.com JudgE’s COmmENT
A BRiGHT ELEGANT YOUNG WiNE OF GREAT iNTENSiTY AND FOCUS. BLACKBERRY AND DARK CHERRY FLAvOURS LACED WiTH STYLiSH OAK; vERY DEEP AND LONG iN THE MOUTH WiTHOUT BEiNG AT ALL HEAvY-HANDED. Huon Hooke huON’s FOOd maTCh
Pink roast leg of lamb with baked root vegetables and steamed green beans.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Argentina WiNEry
Catena Zapata WiNE
NiChOlas malbEC CabErNET sauvigNON 2006 WEbsiTE
www.catenawines.com
PagE 26 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
C e l e b r a t i n g 4 0 Ye a r s I n 2 0 1 1
Quality Integrity Sustainability www.cullenwines.com.au
o8 9755 5277
John Duval is known as one of the winemakers to put Australian wine on the map. Like someone with a famous relative, John’s name was once barely uttered without reference to Australia’s most famous wine, Grange, of which he was apprentice and ultimately custodian for almost 30 years. Today, it is his bold wines borne from old vine Shiraz vineyards throughout the Barossa that are demanding attention. His trio of Plexus, Entity and Eligo show the measure of John’s hands- on winemaking. “To make wines that I am entirely responsible for is the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career. Putting your name on a wine is the ultimate accountability – it only took me 28 years to do it. Working so closely with the growers is the highlight. My respect for them, and that remarkable plant, the grapevine, grows every year.” “John Duval Wines will never be another Penfolds - it is simply my chance to express my 30 odd years of premium winemaking knowledge using some of the best fruit in the world.” Contact John to confirm your nearest stockist or buy direct; john@johnduvalwines.com. www.johnduvalwines.com | ph: +61 (0)8 85622266.
CLASS 12
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
rEd blENds
ausTralia
THiS CLASS iS vERY iNTERESTiNG BECAUSE iT SHOWS CLEARLY THE DivERSiTY OF NEW WORLD WiNES. WHiLE SOME OF THEM ARE vERY CONCENTRATED, OTHERS SHOW MORE ELEGANCE. ALSO, WE HAD SOME FRUiT-DRivEN WiNES AND OTHERS OF A vERY CLASSiC STYLE WiTH vERY NiCE COMPLEXiTY. THE CLASS REvEALS THAT THE WiNES ARE NOT READY TO DRiNK, BUT HAvE NiCE AGiNG POTENTiAL. Fabricio Portelli
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
Chile
WiNEry
Santa Ema WiNE
amPlus ONE CarmENErE syrah CarigNaN 2008 WEbsiTE
www.santaema.cl JudgE’s COmmENT
BECAUSE OF iTS STRUCTURE, THiS WiNE NEEDS TiME TO DEvELOP ELEGANCE AND COMPLEXiTY. iT NOW SHOWS A GREAT EXPRESSiON OF FRUiT AND HAS A LOT OF POTENTiAL. iT iS A ‘YOUNG GUY’ BUT A vERY SERiOUS ONE. Fabricio Portelli FabriCiO’s FOOd maTCh
A great rib eye steak with mixed mushrooms sautéed with small pieces of bacon and a dash of cream.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Wolf Blass WiNE
blaCk labEl CabErNET sauvigNON, shiraZ, malbEC 2006 WEbsiTE
www.wolfblass.com.au
PagE 28 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
bi’lancia Italian. (be-larn-cha) balance, harmony and equilibrium; the scales, of the zodiac (libra).
Bilancia Limited P O Box 2508 Stortford Lodge 4153 Hawkes Bay New Zealand t/f 64 6 844 4301 e bilancia@xtra.co.nz www.bilancia.co.nz
“Consistently one of the country’s best examples of syrah” Bob Campbell, MW, 2011
Award-winning wines from Marlborough
Stunning single-vineyard wines: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Noble Riesling and Noble Sauvignon Blanc Semillon.
www.riverbyestate.com
PINOT NOIR
NOBLE RIESLING
DRY RIESLING
CHARDONNAY
GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
CLASS 13
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
OThEr rEd variETiEs
NEW ZEalaNd
LADiES AND GENTLEMEN THiS iS THE NEW WORLD OF WiNE! ALL OF THE REDS iN THiS CLASS HAvE SHOWN SECONDARY CHARACTERS, LARGE FLAvOURS AND TEXTURES. iT WAS DiFFiCULT TO CHOOSE ONE OF THEM ABOvE THE OTHERS BECAUSE i’M SURE THAT YOU WOULD FiND DiFFERENT MOMENTS FOR EACH OF THEM. SOME ARE LiGHT BODiED, OTHERS MORE CONCENTRATED; SOME ARE DELiCATE WHiLE OTHERS MORE EXPRESSivE. THERE WAS A WONDERFUL WiNE FOR EvERYBODY’S TASTE iN THiS CLASS. Fabricio Portelli
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
Argentina WiNEry
Pulenta Estate WiNE
x1 graN CabErNET FraNC 2008 WEbsiTE
www.pulentaestate.com JudgE’s COmmENT
SWEET RED FRUiT WiTH SOFT TANNiNS AND SOME HERBAL TONES. A vERY JUiCY WiNE! Fabricio Portelli FabriCiO’s FOOd maTCh
Pork filet roasted over the flame served with baked vegetables and apple sauce.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Obsidian WiNE
WEEPiNg saNds mONTEPulCiaNO 2010 WEbsiTE
www.obsidian.co.nz
PagE 30 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
CLASS 14
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
shiraZ
ausTralia
A vERY UNEvEN CLASS. SOME vERY FiNE WiNES, BUT A SiGNiFiCANT NUMBER OF ORDiNARY, OvER-COOKED AND NOT ALWAYS CLEAN SAMPLES. THE vERY BEST WERE EXCEPTiONAL HOWEvER, AND THE MEDALS WELL DESERvED. Michael Fridjhon
r e n n i W y h p o Tr COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Eagles Nest WiNE
shiraZ 2009 WEbsiTE
www.eaglesnestwines.com JudgE’s COmmENT
THiS WiNE DEMONSTRATED vERY SWEET FRUiT. A viBRANT AND iNTENSE WiNE, WiTH OAK BEAUTiFULLY iNTEGRATED. A LONG AND SUMPTUOUS FiNiSH. Michael Fridjhon miChaEl’s FOOd maTCh
Seared venison on a bed of truffle-infused mashed potatoes.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
Penfolds WiNE
rWT shiraZ 2008 WEbsiTE
www.penfolds.com
PagE 32 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
“a true reflection of our unique terroir” Eagles’ Nest was originally a section of Groote Constantia, the wine supplier to European nobility, established by Simon van der Stel in the late 1600’s. Over time the farm has had a number of owners; since 1984 it has been in the control of the Mylrea family as an estate and mountain retreat. Following a devastating mountain fire in 2000 which destroyed all of the natural fynbos vegetation and Protea plants, as well as approximately 95% of the forestation, it was decided to move the farm’s focus to wine. Whilst the Constantia Valley is most famous for its whites, it was felt that Eagles’ Nest, with its unique terroir within the valley, would be more suited to reds. With its East, West and North facing slopes it is the steepest commercially farmed land in the Cape region, if not in all of South Africa. The land is located 10.5km from the cool False Bay coast line and in the direct path of the summer trade winds. Of the total area of 38.4 hectares, only 12 hectares are under vine. The farm’s objective is to produce, consistently, wines that are quality driven every step of the way and that are a true reflection of our unique terroir. Only five wines are produced in limited volume, a Shiraz, with a prominent hint of white pepper tones on the nose with dark red berry fruits and a hint of violets, a Viognier, with ripe peach, apricot aromas morphing into jasmine and a mouth filling palate infused with white stone pipe flavours, a Sauvignon Blanc, with a fresh, enticing palate and passion fruit, pineapple and guava aromas with a hint of green pepper, a Merlot, with the colour of gorgeous plums and a deep garnet rim and a nose exploding into an array of red berry fruits, raspberries, blackberries and red cherries, and Verreaux, a Merlot based Bordeaux blend, screaming of cool climate elegance, well rounded to the point of being velvety. The first commercial harvest was in 2006 and the pedigree achieved across the full range over the 5 subsequent years is living proof of the farms unique characteristics. The maturation strategy for the red’s is to put one third in new wood, one third in second fill barrels and one third in third fill barrels for around 18 months. It is also anticipated that the wine will, once bottled, lie for a further 12 to 18 months before going to market. The Viognier lies in third fill barrels for approximately 6 to 8 months and is marketed once bottled. Our Sauvignon Blanc is unoaked. Screw top closures are used for all wines to ensure that there is no risk of cork taint. The hallmark of the farm is consistency, quality and its people.
Sales Office PO Box 2436 Clareinch, 7740 South Africa Phone: +27 (0)21 683 0487 Fax +27 (0)21 683 7517 Farm Eagles Nest, Old Constantia Main Road, Constantia, 7806 South Africa PO Box 535, Constantia, 7848 South Africa Phone: +27 (0)21 794 4095 Fax: +27 (0)21 794 7113 www.eaglesnestwines.com
CLASS 15
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
CabErNET sauvigNON
ausTralia
A vERY CONSiSTENT AND SERiOUS CLASS. MAYBE TOO SERiOUS. WE EXPECTED MORE JOY AND ADvENTURE. SOME OF THEM WERE vERY STYLiSH AND ELEGANT AND OTHERS A BiT GREEN. ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE SEARCHiNG THE FRESH SiDE OF CABERNET. Eduardo Brethauer
r e n n i W y h p o Tr w o h S f o e Red Win COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Kidnapper Cliffs WiNE
CabErNET sauvigNON 2009 WEbsiTE
www.kidnappercliffs.com JudgE’s COmmENT
THiS WiNE iS vERY DEEP iN AROMAS AND BLACK FRUiT. THiS WiNE iS vERY FiRM AND AN ELEGANT COMPANiON OF THE WOOD. iT HAS NiCE STRUCTURE AND iS MEATY AND SOFT. iT’S A WiNE TO EXPECT GREAT THiNGS OF iN THE FUTURE. vERY COMMUNiCATivE, BUT SOFT TALKiNG. Eduardo Brethauer EduardO’s FOOd maTCh
Wagyu beef fillet served with blackberry sauce and sautéed mushrooms.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
Australia WiNEry
vasse Felix WiNE
CabErNET sauvigNON 2008 WEbsiTE
www.vassefelix.com.au
PagE 34 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
Two of New Zealand’s most highly respected wineries — Hawkes Bay’s Te Awa and Martinborough’s Dry River have joined together to release a new premium wine brand — Kidnapper Cliffs.
www.kidnappercliffs.com
Roys Hill Road SH50, Hastings 4175, New Zealand
CLASS 16
WiNNiNG COUNTRY OF CLASS
dEssErT WiNE
sOuTh aFriCa
A vERY CONSiSTENT AND vOLUPTUOUS CLASS WiTH DiFFERENT CHARACTERS. SOME WiNES HAD MORE HONEY CHARACTERS, OTHERS CiTRiC AND HERBAL BUT MOST OF THEM WiTH AN EXCELLENT BALANCE BETWEEN SWEETNESS AND FRESHNESS. A SWEET FUTURE FOR THiS CLASS. Eduardo Brethauer
r e n n i W y h p o Tr w o h S f o e Win COuNTry
South Africa WiNEry
Nederburg Wines WiNE
PrivaTE biN EmiNENCE NOblE laTE harvEsT musCadEl 2009 WEbsiTE
www.distell.co.za JudgE’s COmmENT
SPLENDiD NOTES OF APRiCOT, MELON, HONEY AND TRUFFLES. A WiNE WiTH AN EXTREMELY NiCE BALANCE BETWEEN SUGAR AND ACiD. vOLUPTUOUS BUT FRESH. A WiNE WiTH AN ENDEARiNG AND CHARMiNG PERSONALiTY. Eduardo Brethauer EduardO’s FOOd maTCh
Your personal choice of fresh fruit and blue cheeses.
r e n n i W e c a l P d n o Sec COuNTry
New Zealand WiNEry
Riverby Estate WiNE
NOblE riEsliNg 2009 WEbsiTE
www.riverbyestate.com
PagE 36 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
Wine of Show Class 16 Trophy Winner
For over two hundred years we have been crafting a superior range of quality wine. Once again, the tasting panel agrees. So why not celebrate with Nederburg’s award winning wines.
www.nederburg.co.za
Enjoy Responsibly.
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
ThE mEdal WiNNErs
Country + Winery
Wine
Variety + Vintage
Website
Class 1 sParkliNg WiNEs AUS CHi
Coldstream Hills Cono Sur
NZ SA
Church Road Oak valley
Brut
Chardonnay Pinot Noir Chardonnay Riesling Pinot noir
2006 Nv
www.coldstreamhills.com.au www.conosur.com
2009 2010
www.churchroad.co.nz www.oakvalley.co.za
2010 2010
www.tupari.co.nz www.tokara.co.za
2006 2009
www.brokenwood.com.au www.stellenrust.co.za
2009
www.terravin.co.nz
2007
www.diamandes.com
2009 2008
www.johnduvalwines.com www.penfolds.com
2009 2009 2010
www.demartino.cl www.kidnappercliffs.com www.diemersfontein.co.za
2009 2009 2009
www.clonakilla.com.au www.teusner.com.au www.bilancia.co.nz
2008
www.wynns.com.au
2002 2010
www.lillypilly.com www.fleurducap.co.za
Class 3 ChardONNay Reserve
Chardonnay Chardonnay
Class 4 sauvigNON blaNC NZ SA
Tupari Tokara
Awatere valley Reserve Collection Elgin
AUS SA
Brokenwood Stellenrust
Belford Block 8 Barrel Fermented ‘45’
Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc
Class 5 OThEr WhiTE variETiEs Semillon Chenin Blanc
Class 8 PiNOT NOir NZ
Terravin
Pinot Noir
Class 11 bOrdEaux blENds ARG
Diamandes
Gran Reserva
AUS AUS
John Duval Penfolds
Plexus Bin 389
Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec
Class 12 rEd blENds Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre Shiraz Cabernet
Class 13 OThEr rEd variETiEs CHi NZ SA
De Martino Kidnapper Cliffs Diemersfontein
Alto Las Piedras Single vineyard
AUS AUS NZ
Clonakilla Teusner Bilancia
Albert La Collina
AUS
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
John Riddoch
AUS SA
Lillypilly Estate Fleur du Cap
Noble Blend Die Bergkelder NLH
Carmenere Cabernet Franc Pinotage
Class 14 shiraZ Shiraz, viognier Shiraz Syrah
Class 15 CabErNET sauvigNON Cabernet Sauvignon
Class 16 dEssErT WiNEs
Hawkesbridge Winery, New Zealand
PagE 38 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
Chenin Blanc
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
ThE mEdal WiNNErs
Country + Winery
Wine
Variety + Vintage
Website
Class 1 sParkliNg WiNEs AUS NZ NZ
Heemskerk Deutz Margrain
Coal River valley Blanc de Blancs La Michelle
Chardonnay Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Chardonnay
2007 2007 2008
www.heemskerk.com.au www.deutz.co.nz www.margrainvineyard.co.nz
2009 2008 2005 2005 2010 2009
www.jimbarry.com www.peterlehmannwines.com www.pewseyvale.com www.timadamswines.com.au www.hartenbergestate.com
Class 2 arOmaTiC WiNEs ARG AUS AUS AUS AUS SA
Quara Jim Barry Wines Peter Lehmann Pewsey vale Tim Adams Hartenberg
Quara Single vineyard The Florita Wigan The Contours Museum Reserve
AUS CHi CHi NZ NZ
Hoddles Creek Estate De Martino vina Aquitania Martinborough vineyards Neudorf
1er Yarra valley Quebrada Seca Sol de Sol
ARG SA SA SA SA
Finca Sophenia Cape Point vineyards Quoin Rock Tokara vergelegen
Sophenia Synthesis Reserve The Nicobar Zondernaam Reserve
SA
Bellingham
The Bernard Series
Weisser
TorrontĂŠs Riesling Riesling Riesling Riesling Riesling
Class 3 ChardONNay
Moutere
Chardonnay Chardonnay Chardonnay Chardonnay Chardonnay
2009 2009 2008 2009 2009
www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au www.demartino.cl www.aquitania.cl www.neudorf.co.nz
2010 2010 2009 2010 2011
www.sophenia.com www.noordhoekvineyards.co.za www.quoinrock.com www.tokara.co.za www.vergelegen.co.za
2010
www.bellinghamwines.com
2010
www.quealy.com.au
2009 2010 2009 2009
www.crittendenwines.com.au www.paringaestate.com.au www.tapanappawines.com.au www.akarua.com
2008
www.foxcreekwines.com
Class 4 sauvigNON blaNC Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc
Class 5 OThEr WhiTE variETiEs Chenin Blanc
Class 6 WhiTE blENds AUS
Quealy
Pobblebonk
Pinot Gris Friulano Muscat Chardonnay Riesling
Class 8 PiNOT NOir AUS AUS AUS NZ
Crittenden Estate Paringa Estate Tapanappa Akarua
The Zumma The Paringa Foggy Hill
Pinot Noir Pinot Noir Pinot Noir Pinot Noir
Class 9 mErlOT AUS
Fox Creek
Reserve
Merlot
Eagles Nest Winery, South Africa
Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 39
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
ThE mEdal WiNNErs
Country + Winery
Wine
Variety + Vintage
Website
Class 10 malbEC ARG ARG ARG ARG
Caelum Dante Robino Doña Paula Navarro Correas DiAGO
Malbec Malbec Malbec Malbec
Gran Dante Doña Paula Selección de Bodega Alegoría Gran Reserva
2010 2008 2007 2008
www.bodegacaelum.com.ar www.bodegadanterobino.com www.donapaula.com www.ncorreas.com
2007 2009 2009 2009 2008
www.atamisque.com www.cullenwines.com.au www.kidnappercliffs.com www.kwv.co.za
2007 2006 2009 2008 2008
www.lavaque.com www.flichman.com.ar www.twohandswines.com www.churchroad.co.nz www.villamaria.co.nz
2009 2008 2009 2009
www.perezcruz.com www.williamfevre.cl www.kidnappercliffs.com www.warwickwine.com
2009 2009 2009
www.nickolearywines.com.au www.shawandsmith.com www.villamaria.co.nz
2006 2010 2007 2008
www.penfolds.com www.plantagenetwines.com www.calyptra.cl www.fleurducap.co.za
2008 2010 2008 2008
www.brownbrothers.com.au www.hollick.com www.caliboro.com www.nederburg.co.za
Class 11 bOrdEaux ARG AUS NZ SA SA
Atamisque Cullen Kidnapper Cliffs KWv Wines Mvemve Raats
Atamisque Assemblage Diana Madeline Ariki The Mentors Orchestra De Compostella
ARG ARG AUS NZ NZ
Felix Lavaque Finca Flichman Two Hands Church Road villa Maria
Felix Blend Paisaje de Barrancas Brave Faces Reserve Reserve
CHi CHi NZ SA
Perez Cruz William Fevre Kidnapper Cliffs Warwick
Limited Edition Gran Cuvee
AUS AUS NZ
Nick O’Leary Shaw + Smith villa Maria
AUS AUS CHi SA
Penfolds Plantagenet Calyptra Fleur du Cap
Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc Merlot Cab Franc Cabernet Sauvignon
Class 12 rEd blENds Malbec Tannat Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Shiraz Mataro Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Merlot
Class 13 OThEr rEd variETiEs Carmenere Carmenere Pinotage Pinotage
Old Bush vine
Class 14 shiraZ Shiraz Shiraz Syrah
Reserve
Class 15 CabErNET sauvigNON Cellar Reserve Zahir Limited Edition Die Bergkelder Unfiltered Special Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon
Class 16 dEssErT WiNE AUS AUS CHi SA
Brown Brothers Patricia Noble Hollick The Nectar La Reserva de Caliboro Erasmo Late Harvest Nederburg Wines Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest
Jordan Vineyards, South Africa
PagE 40 Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011
Riesling Rieling Chardonnay Semillon Torontel Muscadel
FivE NATiONS WiNE CHALLENGE 2011
d e t i v In ies n a p Com
iNviTEd COmPaNiEs
argENTiNa Alpamanta Estate Alta vista Amalaya Atamisque Bodega Del Desierto Caelum Caro Catena Zapata Cavas Rosell Boher Chacra Colomé Cruzat Dante Robino Del Fin del Mundo Diamandes Domingo Molina Dominio Del Plata Doña Paula Etchart Finca Anita Finca Flichman Finca Quara Finca Sophenia Graffigna Jed Wines Kaiken Luigi Bosca Navarro Correas DiAGO NQN O. Fournier Passionate Wine S.A. Pulenta Estate Riglos Rosell Boher Salentein Sietefincas Trapezio Trapiche Trivento Zorzal Wines
ausTralia Allandale Blue Pyrenees Estate Brokenwood Brown Brothers By Farr Caillard Cape Mentelle Capital Wines Chateau Tanunda Clonakilla Clover Hill Coldstream Hills Credaro Family Estate Crittenden Estate Cullen Curly Flat d’Arenberg DeBortoli Derwent Estate Eldridge Estate Erin Eyes Evans & Tate First Creek Fox Creek Fraser Gallop Estate Some companies entered more than one wine.
Freeman Freycinet Frogmore Creek Fuddling Cup Grosset Hay Shed Hill Heathcote Estate Heemskerk Heggies vineyard Henschke Hoddles Creek Estate Hollick Howard Park Jansz Jim Barry Wines John Duval Juniper Crossing Kilikanoon Larry Cherubino Leeuwin Estate Lillypilly Estate Lindemans Main Ridge Estate McHenry Hohnen McWilliams Nick O’Leary Paringa Estate Paulett Wines Penfolds Penny’s Hill Pepper Tree Petaluma Peter Lehmann Pikes Plantagenet Pressing Matters Quealy Riposte by Tim Knappstein S.C. Pannell Scorpo Shaw + Smith Spinifex St Hallett Stefano Lubiana Wines Tahbilk Tapanappa Teusner Thomas Tim Adams Torbreck Two Hands vasse Felix vinea Marson voyager Estate William Downie Willow Creek Wolf Blass Wynns Coonawarra Estate Yalumba Yellowglen Yering Station Yeringberg
sOuTh aFriCa
NEW ZEalaNd
ChilE Agustinos Altaïr Anakena Aquitania Calyptra Carmen Y Santa Rita Casa Marín Casa Silva Casas del Bosque Chocalán Cono Sur De Martino Hereu La Reserva de Caliboro Loma Larga Miguel Torres Montes Pérez Cruz Polkura Quebrada de Macul Santa Ema Santa Rita Tamaya valdivieso ventisquero veramonte viA Wines vistamar William Fevre
Akarua Astrolabe Ata Rangi Auntsfield Babich Bilancia Black Barn C J Pask Chard Farm Church Road Coal Pit Craggy range Crossroads Dog Point Dog Point Esk valley Forrest Estate Framingham Fromm Greystone Greywacke Judge Rock Kidnapper Cliffs Man O’War Margrain Martinborough vineyards Matariki Mills Reef Millton Misha’s vineyard Mission Mount Riley Mt Difficulty Mudbrick Muddy Water Mudhouse Nautilus Neudorf Newton Forrest No. 1 Family NZ Wine Cellars Obsidean Pegasus Bay Pernod Ricard Riverby Estate Saint Clair Seifried Estate Seresin Spy valley Te Whau Terravin Tohu Trinity Hill Tupari vidal villa Maria Woollaston
Anwilka Ataraxia Beaumont Wines Bellingham Boekenhoutskloof Bouchard Finlayson Buitenverwachting Cape Chamonix Cape Point vineyards Delaire Graff Estate Diemersfontein Eagles Nest Fleur du Cap Gabriëlskloof Glen Carlou Graham Beck Hamilton Russell vineyards Hartenberg Haskell vineyards Hermanuspietersfontein Hillcrest Estate Howard Booysen Boutique Wines idiom Wines Jordan Kaapzicht Klein Constantia KWv Wines La Motte Lomond Meerlust Mulderbosch vineyards Mvemve Raats Nederburg Wines Neethlingshof Neil Ellis Wines Newton Johnson Oak valley Paul Cluver Perdeberg Winery Pongracz Quoin Rock Raats Family Wines Rijk’s Private Cellar & Estate Rustenberg Wines Shannon vineyards Sijnn Spier Wines Stark-Condé Wines Steenberg vineyards Stellenrust The House of Krone The Winery of Good Hope Thelema Mountain vineyards Tokara Topiary vergelegen vilafonte villiera Yonder Hill Five NAtiONS WiNe ChAlleNge 2011 PagE 41
Gentle wines with a natural sense of place.
www.larrycherubino.com Available at fine wine stores and restaurants around Australia, or direct from www.larrycherubino.com Trade Enquiries: Edwina Egerton Warburton - edwina@cherubino.com.au