On theVine Summer 2011 Ends 28th February 2012
inside: Cooling Whites
On the Vine
Delicious Reds Festivity of bubbles All panel selected
Premium Wine Buying Guide
We l c o me Have a look at this summer selection that we’ve put together for you over the last couple of months. There’s a diverse balance of varietal wines and styles, a few imported wines for interest and the overall pricing is outstanding. We are saying the local 2011 whites are very good, even though they follow a brilliant local white vintage in 2010, the two chardonnays are among the best here in WA and they are conservatively priced and the imports keep on rockin’ at tremendous value. And the reds---well, we always need a red or two whatever the season and there is a wide range of styles here. Trust you’ll enjoy. Cheers! Rod Properjohn
The Panel Rod Properjohn
Steve Perry
Rod began in the wine industry 35 years ago as a Wine Advisory Officer for the Wine Industry Association of WA and gravitated from there into lecturing at the Association’s Wine Education Centre, in which he is still involved. He also ran wine classes for Technical and Further Education. He was a wine columnist for the Western Mail and Daily News papers and later on with the magazines West Coast, Scoop, WineState, Spice, Menu and Cravings. He is also a Regional Wine Show judge and the writer of our newsletter.
Steve has been expertly advising and educating Perth’s western suburbs in wine since 1985. He was a director of legendary Cottesloe Wine Store - John Coppins until 1997 and now leads the team at fine wine storeSwanbourne Liquor Barons. He has travelled extensively around the wine-growing regions of Australia and NZ and has been the Chairman of the Panel for over 10 Years.
Peter Bradbeer
Michael Dickson
Paul (Ed) Edwards
For Michael wine started as an interest, then became a vocation and after 20 years in the wine industry as both a retailer and wholesaler, remains a passion. What keeps that passion alive is the increasing range of new and interesting wines from grape varieties and regions around the world that are becoming available to us.
Ed has managed fine wine stores in London, Sydney and Perth. He led Hyde Park Cellars to win the NSW Liquor Store of the year award in 2001 before studying and passing the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Diploma in 2005. He now operates his own business teaching WSET qualifications in Perth. In 2008 he was the WA representative in the national final of the prestigious , Negociants ‘Working with Wine’ fellowship. He regular sits in Peter Forrestal’s Wine Panel and is committee member of the Wine Communicators of Australia WA Chapter.
Peter has been in the wine industry for over 30 years, always tasting and assessing wines for sale and for his own drinking. He has been Wine Show judging and consulting to a major Australian wine company. Being on other professional wine panels gives him a broad view of what is out there, but it is always changing. Peter’s view is you never stop learning.
Paul McArdle
Anthony Reynolds
Paul is currently the CEO for Fonty’s Pool winery in Pemberton. He has been the wine consultant for ‘Must’ wine bar/restaurant in Perth (since 2004). Paul is regularly involved in both trade and consumer wine education and passed the UK based ‘Masters of Wine’ (MW) tasting exam in 2003.
Anthony is a qualified Winemaker that brings much technical winemaking knowledge to the panel. He has worked both as a viticulturist and Winemaker for over 10 years, predominantly in the Margaret River Wine Region. Anthony has also worked and/ or travelled through many of the Worlds leading winemaking areas including France, Germany, Italy and South Africa. A recent city change has seen Anthony move back to Perth as the new owner and manager of Liquor Barons Dalkeith.
Basil Giglia Basil has been involved in the liquor industry since 1983. Besides a good drop of wine, he can not pass up a cold beer, a good malt whisky or a silky fortified. Basil enjoys selecting wines to compliment the diverse range of foods on offer today. What more is there? Good food, good wine and stimulating company and enjoying life.
Stef Biagi Since joining the wine trade 12 years ago Stef has been a part of the management team for 6 fine wine stores in WA (including 2 Liquor Barons stores), and has a loyal customer base who track him down for recommendations. He has completed all of the wine courses at the Wine Education Centre and furthered his education by regularly exploring Australia’s wine regions. He most enjoys finding gems from boutique vineyards and is responsible for sourcing, cataloguing and preparing all wine for the Panel tastings.
Different Shades of
Red
1299
$
each by mixed 6pk
Elefante 2009 Tempranillo Shiraz (Esp) Named after a fighting bull that showed incredible bravery in the ring, although you don’t need to be brave to drink this. It’s a modern round soft juicy red wine that has a savoury meaty edge to its velvety balance. A lovely mouthfeel in this seductive red. Enormous value and for short term bottle maturation only.
$ Petit Rimauresq 2010 Côtes de Provence (Fr)
This is why the French prefer pink wine to white at the moment; they drink an enormous amount of it, especially during the warmer months in the south, where this is from. Pale salmon/apricot in colour and with a lively red berry nose, this is savoury, very dry and so refreshing on the palate. It’s also pretty good value, chill and quaff while it’s young.
2499
1799
$
$ Lapostolle Casa 2009 Carmenère (Chile)
each by mixed 6pk
The grape variety is carmenère, the country is Chile and the wine is cool. This old French (Bordeaux) red variety here offers a silky creamy textured wine with enough spice to add interest, chocolate for depth of flavour and tannins and acids for structure. We would drink this in its friendly youth. Great value.
1999
each by mixed 6pk
SC Pannell 2009 Touriga Tempranillo (Au)
each by mixed 6pk
Here’s a different blend, Touriga, a prized variety of Portuguese origin and Tempranillo from sunny Spain. Steve Pannell, this year’s Bushing King of McLaren Vale, harnesses the concentrated black plummy fruits and strong tannins of the former to the red raspberry fruits and silky tannins of the latter and manages to lock in a savoury intrigue. Clever wine!
A happy soul, that all the way, to heaven hath a summer’s day. Richard Crashaw
Whites
1499
$ Preveli 2011 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
each by mixed 6pk
This small Margaret River producer has been around for about a decade and has impressed our panel with its wines over the last five or six years. This well-balanced gem has a passionfruit and slight smoky aroma and stone fruit/ citrus flavourings on the palate and the winemaking influence of a little oak fermentation and lees contact adds a fabric of intrigue. Very smart wine!
$
1299
1599
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Elefante 2010 Tierra de Castilla Blanco (Esp)
Pikes 2010 Luccio Pinot Grigio
You’ll see the red from the same stable in this publication. From the vast, high and dry plains of Castilla la Mancha, this young white is a fruit salad blend of varieties with up-front stone fruit and citrus. An attractive flinty palate has melon and citrus flavours and finishes with a little wild honey and soft acidity. A drink-soon style.
A pale colour and gentle poached nashi pear nose are an introduction to this dry cleansing wine. Very subtle stone fruit on the palate is married to a mineral crisp texture and tart acid on the finish. This Clare Valley wine is straight out of the Italian Grigio textbook and would be great with light summer foods. Not for bottle aging.
1499
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
1799
each by mixed 6pk
Swings & Roundabouts 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Vavasour 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
From Margaret River, this brilliantly fresh youngster with the bold black on white label is zesty with tropical and citrus fruit aromas. The palate has oodles of fruit, a dollop of sweetness and a glorious crisp closing acidity. There’s no need for cellaring, it’s absolutely perfect for quaffing over the warm months ahead.
Following on from an award-winning 2010 wine, this new release has similar quality. There’s freshly cut grass, gooseberry and citrus fruit parcelled up in a lengthy chewy palate with racy acidity to finish. There’s no doubt that sauvignon blanc is the variety Marlborough does best and this is one of the better ones from the region. Drink within two years.
How sweet I roamed from field to field, and tasted all the summer’s pride. William Blake
2199
1899
$
$ Maude 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
The grapes for this are sourced from selected vineyards in the Wairau Valley Marlborough. It’s a punchy powerful wine of gooseberry, passionfruit, citrus aromas and flavours and has a whiff of washed-rind cheese for complexity. A big savvy, it’s no shrinking violet. Try it with flavourful canapés or a hearty seafood dish.
1899
Flametree 2010 Chardonnay Modern Margaret River chardonnay with a mix of fuller Wilyabrup fruit and the leaner berries from further south at Wallcliffe. There is grapefruit, melon and nectarine in this along with covert oak and mineral/mealy flavours that stretch out to a crisp cleansing finish. A few year’s cellaring won’t harm it. Another reason for the chardonnay resurgence in Australia.
2399
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
3 Drops 2011 Riesling
Houghton Wisdom 2011 Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc
Light straw and brilliantly clear, this Mount Barker riesling has floral and citrus aromatics and a palate of crunchy textural zest with a minerality boost to the acid finish. The wine is dry and will fill out well with bottle age, but drink it now if you must. Try with tempura prawn and perhaps some Asian-inspired dipping sauce.
The cool Pemberton region of WA grows sauvignon blanc well and it shows in this wine. There are lots of herbal characters, fragrant passion fruit and compelling acidity with a little textural mealy roundness from some lees maturation. Attractive wine for early consumption.
$
2199
each by mixed 6pk
2499
$
each by mixed 6pk
The Yard 2011 Riesling
Forester Estate 2010 Margaret River Chardonnay
From the single Riversdale vineyard in Frankland River, this wine shows the talent that winemaker Larry Cherubino has with riesling. Although still tight, it has lots of lime juice, is long and dry on the palate and has crisp acidity to finish. Although it’s bone dry, we love the back label which has a sugar scale and that’s needed today with the increasing number of sweeter rieslings being released.
An impressive chardonnay with stone fruit and citrus flavours mixing with nutty oak and the subtle complexity of cashews and grainy characters. The balance of components is excellent, the texture adds interest and the length of palate is longer than a mother-in- law’s visit. Very smart wine and typical of the region lately.
A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. James Dent
Reds $ Swings & Roundabouts 2010 Cabernet Merlot
1499
each by mixed 6pk
A medium-weighted style of this Bordeaux blend, from Margaret River. It’s not for extended cellaring but more for drinking over the next four years, as there’s a quiet grippy backdrop to the herbal and blackcurrant fruit and some dusty oak and earthiness adds to the equation. The price won’t do much harm to your credit balance.
$
1499
$ Rocky Gully 2009 Shiraz
each by mixed 6pk
Cool region shiraz is the go here, from Frankland Estate in the Great Southern. There’s a bundle of earthy white pepper and kitchen spice along with some floral notes on the nose and the palate is a medium-weighted mix of tannins, tight citrusy oak, spiced plums and grippy acidity. Will age well over a few years.
1399
1799
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Amberley 2010 Cabernet Merlot
South by South West 2009 Cabernet Merlot
You’ll notice bright and youthful violet and ruby shades in the glass and then an up-front leafy blackcurrant and sweet-oaked nose in this Margaret River wine. The palate is a mix of black fruited jam, chocolate, vanilla oak and chalky tannins and has a bundle of richness. Ideal with a barbeque over the summer months.
By Higher Plane of Margaret River, this is a medium-weighted red, a typical Bordeaux-style blend. There’s a little leafiness, the dustiness of oak, blackcurrant/olive fruit and the firming dryness of grape tannins on the finish. Will age for a few years and is suited to lighter red meat dishes - lamb or capretto would be a good choice.
Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language’s pride.” Henry James
1899
$
each by mixed 6pk
Xabregas 2009 Mount Barker Shiraz A deep ruby colour, this shiraz has an abundance of cool-area pepper and smoky bacon oak on the nose and red fruits, chocolate, solid structure and balance on the palate. Medium-weighted, it drinks beautifully now, or will cellar well for five years. This label invariably impresses by its quality and sensational value. A must-buy.
2499
1999
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Di Giorgio Family 2008 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Crittenden Estate 2009 Pinot Noir
You’ll see a deep red mauve along the rim of this cabernet and pick up ripe blackcurrant, blueberry and heady sweet vanillin oak on the nose. The palate is long in typical Coonawarra style with sandy tannins, sweet fruit and the perfumed oak overflows from the nose through to an extended acid finish. Has aging ability.
From the Mornington Peninsula, this has medium brick-red tonings with a forward fresh-fruited aroma of cherry and rhubarb and a dollop of earthy complexity. The palate is both savoury and fruity but with good firm structure and tingling finishing acidity. Good balance.
$
2299
3499
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Torbrecks 2010 Cuvée Juveniles
Leeuwin Estate 2008 Art Series Shiraz
A Rhone blend of Barossa grenache, mourvedre and shiraz gives us a midred colour with a juicy red berry and mulberry nose and a lovely rounded sweet-fruited palate with spice and a soft gentle finish. There’s no oak here, it’s a simple enjoyable quaffer, and as the name implies, it’s an intentional youthful style and deserves to be opened in the next couple of years.
Leeuwin Estate Shiraz went on sabbatical for quite a time, it was kicked out of the stable, but it’s back and this is a cracker, an absolute beauty of a wine. It’s middle-weighted with red-fruited intensity, a herbal spicy lift and along with oak complexity, ripe tannins and impressive length. Great balance lifts it into the top level of red quality. A joy!
Whew! We just finished a tasting of over 100 bottles of bubbles and have included a great bunch here for you to tuck into during the months ahead. We look for length of flavour and palate balance in a sparkling wine and when first poured, a generous lacey froth on the surface and fine persistent bubbles. It is essential to have freshly washed and polished glasses to promote these visual qualities. A bottle-fermented wine will have bread or yeast characters which are a complexity from bottle sediment and the wine will be fresh, invigorating and have a dry cleansing finish. Some are lighter and more suited as a pre-dinner drink and the fuller bodied styles can be served with a number of dishes. Serve the light styles at a chilly six degrees, the more complex fuller wines at nine and sparkling red a little warmer again. Merry Christmas! Cheers! Rod Properjohn
The best that fizz for this Festive Season
“I only drink Champagne when I’m happy, and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I’m thirsty.” Lily Bollinger
Note: All wines listed are Non-Vintage apart from the Prosecco and Pol Roger 2000. NV wines are blended from different vintages to a House style, whereas a Vintage wine is from the one year and its fruit quality must be outstanding $
for it to stand alone. Vintage Champagne is given extra bottle aging before release.
Ingram Rd Brut
1699
each by mixed 6pk
Very impressive young sparkler by Helen’s Hill Estate in the Yarra Valley made in the blanc de blancs style. A lovely light colour and ethereal lifted yeast nose leads you to a hyperactive fizzing palate with gentle citrus flavours, subtle creaminess, dryness and a cleansing acid finish. The balance is exemplary, a fine aperitif.
$ Syn Cuvée Blanc
1499
each by mixed 6pk
Minimalistic name and label by Leconfield Coonawarra and the wine is much the same, it’s a definite aperitif style. Light straw with healthy effervescence, the nose has subtle stone fruit aromas and the palate is long and elegant with a distinctive dryness and finishes with a refreshing cleansing acidity. Drink soon.
$ Coco Methode Traditionelle Brut (Fr)
1699
each by mixed 6pk
Made in the traditional style of bottle fermentation and lees maturation but lacks the magic name Champagne, so hence the attractive price. It’s a very drinkable aperitif style nonetheless, as it’s long, light, fizzy and refreshing and importantly doesn’t have a heavy dosage, meaning it’s dry. Very commendable and easy-drinking French sparkler.
“One holds a bottle of red wine by the neck, a woman by the waist, and a bottle of Champagne by the derriere.” Mark Twain
1799
$ Brown Bros 2011 LTD Release Prosecco
each by mixed 6pk
An excellent effort by Brown Bros to produce this popular Italian-style sparkler from the high altitude King Valley in Victoria. Arriving in a ten-pin shape bottle, it has some gun flint aromas along with cashew nuts and has a very quaffable palate of cleansing citrus fruit and a soft finish. Well priced and it’s for drinking now.
1999
$
$ Les Petites Vignettes Brut (Fr)
each by mixed 6pk
Beautifully packaged, this is a bottle of bubbles from Burgundy and is made from the resident pinot noir and chardonnay grape varieties. Deep straw in colour, it has a seductive crème caramel nose and a robust dry palate full of flavour, lively bead, freshness and a cleansing finish. Try it with creamy freshlyshucked salty oysters - wow!
$ Fox Creek Vixen
Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir
Made from pinot noir grown in the cool Adelaide Hills, this sparkling rosé wine has an appealing pale salmon/apricot colour, the strawberry and cherry aromas of pinot noir and an inherent floral lift. Delicate flavours on the palate are enhanced by the very fine and persistent bead. Clean finish. Colour coordinate it with some pink salmon roe and a small dollop of sour cream.
1999
each by mixed 6pk
An eruption of foaming red fizz is what you see when you splash this into a glass. It’s a drink many Australians look for on Christmas day, especially when the turkey comes out of the oven. The attraction is the softness, the sweetness, the creamy texture and the simple pleasure of drinking a mouthful of red fruit, chocolate and spice. Chill it to 14° for best results.
1999
each by mixed 6pk
2799
$ Pirie Tasmania
each by mixed 6pk
Lovely Tasmanian bottle of bubbles with good colour and lively mousse. You’ll love the effervescence, the wonderful balance of fruit, bready yeast, creamy textures, rich flavours and impressive length in this wine. There’s a lot going on here, it’s a great value wine and exciting with the freshest of shashimi.
“I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate . . . and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself.” Napoleon Bonaparte
$ Janisson & Fils Brut Tradition Champagne (Fr)
4499
each by mixed 6pk
All dressed up formally in a silver label and foil on a dark green bottle, this relatively new label, in Oz at least, certainly looks the part and the wine within the package is stunning. It has all the classic features and shows in particular a very good balance of bready flavours, complexity, elegance and acid finish. Drinks beautifully right now, so indulge right now.
5999
6999
$ Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne (Fr)
each by mixed 6pk
Founded in 1811, this House produces consistent high quality fizz. An intoxicating nose of an early-morning bakery mixed with spring wildflowers is an attractive introduction to this wine. Take a sip and you’ll then engage with subtle citrus and stone fruit and lots of silky textures reaching to a cleansing dry acid finish. Open this at any time of the day or night, we would.
$ Louis Roederer Brut Premiere Champagne (Fr)
Roederer never disappoints and is invariably in our top bracket of champagne each year. It is brimming with flavour, yet has a delicacy of taste that is tantalizing and the refreshing fizz on the tongue lingers to a long and delightful finish. Another brilliant wine from this House and one to be savoured with a champagne-loving close friend.
9999
6499
$
$ Marc Chauvet Brut Champagne (Fr)
each by mixed 6pk
Although the Chauvet family has been making Champagne since 1529, the Marc Chauvet label is not that well known in Australia. It should be as this is delicious. It’s a 66% pinot noir blend with chardonnay making up the remainder and has a concentrated flavour of zesty fruit, the complexity of buttered brioche and it is bright and lively with a great finish. Serve with a simple scallop dish.
each by mixed 6pk
Pol Roger 2000 Vintage Champagne (Fr)
each by mixed 6pk
Vintage Pol is matured for eight years in the cellars before release. You’ll love the developing pale golden colour and lovely singed toast and nutty bouquet and the palate is distinguished with a wonderful balance of light citrus fruit, mealy biscuit textures, cashews and a cleansing acid finish. The bubble is tiny in size and prolific in number, just as you’d expect. Super quality wine and worth the little extra you pay.
OVER EAST THEY’RE CRYING IN THEIR BEER, WINE, WHISKY, VODKA, SANGRIA, TEQUILA, ABSINTHE, BENAI, CHAMPAGNE, FRANGELICO, RUM, CIDER, BRANDY, DRAMBUIE, COINTREAU, MUSCAT, PORT, ADVOCAAT, COGNAC, SAKE, SCOTCH, ARRACK, MEZCAL, GRAND MARNIER, KIRSCH, MARSALA, CRÈME DE CAFÉ, CHAMBORD, BENEDICTINE, VERMOUTH, CURAÇAO, GIN, CHAMBORD, BENEDICTINE, JÄGERMEISTER, SCHNAPPS, MEAD, PIMM’S, TIA MARIA, BÄRENJÄGER, ARMAGNAC, APEROL, MIDORI, SHERRY, BACARDI, BAILEY’S, WÓDKA, CHARTREUSE, PISCO, RAKI, TSIKOUDIA, ORUJO, LICHIDO, WEST COAST COOLER, SOJU, ZOŁĄDKOWA GORZKA, TEJ, AGUARDENTE, AMARETTO, SAMBUCA, BAIJIU, PASSOÃ, TÖRKÖLYPÁLINKA, BAIJIU, KAHLUA, BOURBON, BOZA, DIMMI... At the 2011 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA). We were crowned ‘Retail Banner Group of the Year’, a remarkable achievement for a West Australian owned and operated independent liquor group. It’s a huge win for us and for WA.
VOTED RETAIL BANNER GROUP OF THE YEAR AT THE 2011 AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR INDUSTRY AWARDS.
Yo u r O n T h e V i n e S t o r e s Liquor Barons Swanbourne
Liquor Barons Carlisle
Liquor Barons Herdsman
Liquor Barons Busselton
Liquor Barons Claremont
Liquor Barons Wembley Downs
103 Claremont Crescent P: 08 9384 2111
Cnr Duchess & Queen Street P: 9754 8606
88 Bishopgate Street P: 9361 1335
12 Ashton Avenue P: 08 9384 6458
Shop 5 - 1 Flynn Street P: 9387 4222
Shop 1 -11 Bouremouth Cres P: 9245 2484
Liquor Barons Dalkeith
133 Waratah Ave P: 9386 8749 Specials end 28/2/12. While stocks last. Pics for illustration purposes only. Prices inclusive of GST. OTV Magazine published by Liquor Barons Co-Op Ltd. Suite 16 350 Cambridge St Wembley WA 6014 . Tel 08 9287 2222