OntheVine Autumm 2012
On the Vine
inside: Varieties Autumn Reds All Season Whites
Premium Wine Buying Guide
All panel selected
Ends 3rd June 2012
We l c o me Ah autumn, warm days and cool crisp nights, it’s a wonderful time of the year for wine lovers, as all wine styles are very approachable in this weather. We have unearthed some cracking white wines for you at our recent tastings, three stunning sauvignon blancs, a couple of brilliant rieslings and a brace of other white varietals and blends. The reds, well they are a magic bunch, a varied selection of Australian and Kiwi and also a couple of old world wines for interest. And the local rosé that we discovered is remarkable value for such a good wine. Tuck in! 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.
Varieties 1199
$
each by mixed 6pk
Deep Woods 2011 Harmony Rosé
Another smell of autumn sweet sweet smell of Concord grapes warming, ripening ready to burst with flavor strong urgent smell lured me closer spreading outward from the makeshift arbor a plume twenty feet wide enticing, coaxing me to linger luxuriate in its aroma smile at the memory of other pickings long ago Sweet fruit high above me, out of reach up in the canopy formed by wire and bush Raymond A. Foss
A brilliant light pomegranate colour, this Margaret River wine is distinctly savoury, aided by a squirt of tempranillo to the shiraz and merlot used. There are red fruit jubes along the long palate which finishes dry with decent acidity. Gold medal winner at the last Qantas WA wine show and absolute top value look at the price. Great anytime, but a buzz with a Chinese stir-fry.
1799
1999
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Plantagenet 2010 Riesling
Babo 2011 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie (It)
From Mt Barker in the Great Southern, a sizeable portion of this was made from forty year old vines and is a light straw colour with apple blossom and citrus aromatics. Beautifully balanced, it has generous palate weight for the variety, fine texture, good length and gravelly acidity. There’s rare value here in this WA riesling.
Light straw and clean, this is exactly what the variety is all about - well it is Italian and it’s from the cool NE region, so that helps. You’ll notice green pear on the nose and an austere very dry palate with tart lemony acid and flinty metallic finish. It’s the ultimate white wine style with food and ready to fire up with a plate of squid/octopus and salad.
2499
1899
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
De Bortoli 2011 La Boheme Act Three
Mesh 2011 Riesling
The Yarra Valley and winemaker Steve Webber combine to produce this lightly flavoured young white from pinot gris and a couple of other varieties. The wine has some pear, melon and citrus, a harmonious palate and a very soft acid finish. We would drink this now in its youth with antipasti or a white-sauce pasta dish.
Industry celebrities Jeffrey Grosset and Robert Hill Smith perform like a violin and cello each vintage to produce this classic from the Eden Valley SA. Straw with a flash of green and a brilliant lime, apple and lanolin nose, the palate is tightly focused with elegance and precision, extraordinarily long and minerally crisp with a vibrato finish. Hits the high notes.
Autumn 2011
Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. Ernest Hemingway
W h i t e s $
1699
1699
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Babich 2011 Sauvignon Blanc NZ
Brokenwood 2011 Hunter Valley Semillon
Light straw and brilliant, this has a voluminous nose of tropical fruit and gooseberry, it’s delightfully fresh and cleansing. A conventional Kiwi style from this established winery that won’t disappoint the lovers of Marlborough sav blanc. It hasn’t been tricked up by winemakers, you get what you expect and the value is there.
We rarely recommend drinking young Hunter Semillons as they are very lemony and have searing acidity, but with age they develop wonderful honey and toast complexity and come into their own. This is a classic and will drink well now with pan-fried fish but we suggest hiding a few in the cellar and opening them in six years or so. You’ll be amazed at the transformation.
1699
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
1899
each by mixed 6pk
Forest Hill 2011 Highbury Fields Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Ad Hoc 2011 Hen and Chicken Chardonnay
From the Great Southern, this bright straw-coloured wine is a light angular style with a fresh grassy lift, some stone fruit characters, a squeeze of lemon and long searching minerality and acidity. A drink-soon wine and ideal when served with a crunchy garden-fresh salad. Well priced.
A Pemberton wine made by Larry Cherubino, it is mid straw in colour and quiet on the nose with a whiff of smoke, a little nuttiness and nectarine. The palate is long and tight with firm acids and will open up in another few months with evolving stone fruit and creaminess. Modern style of chardonnay.
Autumn 2011
Here’s to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. W.E.P. French
$ Xanadu 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
1999
each by mixed 6pk
Light straw and brilliantly limpid, this black-labelled Margaret River wine has lovely citrus fruit and herbal flavours meshed with gentle funky cheesiness and subtle smoke from partial wild yeast, oak fermentation and lees contact. Clever winemaking raises this to the top level.
$
2299
each by mixed 6pk
Greywacke 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ From the masterful Kevin Judd of Cloudy Bay fame, this is almost colourless, but packed with flavour. You’ll notice a subtle waft of smoke from some barrel ferment, a grassy lift with grapefruit and lime notes and a fine focused palate with terrific minerality. A top tier wine that’s well worth the extra few dollars you pay for it.
2399
2199
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Clairault 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
William Fevre 2010 Petit Chablis (Fr)
This northern Margaret River white is made by the conventional method of using free-run juice, cultured yeasts, steel tank fermentation, minimal fining and early bottling. The result is an elegant leafy wine with impeccable balance. Subtle lemon zest and mint enhance the palate. Lovely drink.
Light green straw in appearance, this has a lifted nose of wild flowers and citrus with subtle marzipan complexity. The palate is long with grapefruit, a little spice, a dry-pebble mineral component and classical crisp acidity. Chill a bottle of this along with a dozen fresh oysters and sit back and enjoy.
$
2199
3299
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Snake and Herring 2011 Tough Love Chardonnay
Clos Henri 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ
A wine from the southern or cooler part of Margaret River and this is highlighted by the leaner palate profile. The subtle smokiness of oak is there along with creaminess and funkiness on the palate with extended peach and nutty flavours through to a crisp finish. Another six months in the bottle will see more flavour development. Promising wine from this new label.
Very strong French influence here and it’s all about restraint, rather than up-front fruit bomb characteristics. It’s beautifully balanced with a creamy texture due to long lees aging, has dryness, great length and a crunching finish. Definitely not your normal savvy, enjoy the difference. The panel ravished this wine.
Autumn 2011
Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever. Aristophanes
$
Reds $
1699
each by mixed 6pk
Yalumba 2010 The Strapper GSM Cleverly named by the racehorse-loving Hill-Smith family after the horse strapper or groom - never celebrated, but important all the same. Made from the Rhone red varieties, grenache, shiraz and mataro (mourvedre), this wouldn’t rate with Yalumba’s top reds but it’s a slightly jammy wine with balanced tannins, rustic earthiness and a good finish. Not a staying type, more a sprinter for drinking soon.
1199
1899
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Cantina Tollo 2009 Rocca Ventosa Montepulciano (It)
O’Leary Walker 2010 Clare Valley/McLaren Vale Shiraz
A ruby coloured red for immediate drinking with its earthy warm ripe fruit, meat loaf subtleties, medium-bodied roundness and soft tannins. A very affordable young wine from Abruzzi in the warm south-east of Italy. Ideal with some Mediterranean dishes or a simple crusty tomato and basil pizza with a sprinkle of olive oil.
Opaque dark red, this is driven by the strength of Clare and the richness of McLaren fruit. There are plush plummy aromas with a waft of mint and then chocolate, mocha and vanilla of French oak. You’ll then see ripe tannins, power and the warmth of alcohol on the long palate. An excellent vintage and a great-value wine from these clever winemakers.
$
1999
1499
each by mixed 6pk
Mount Langhi 2008 Billi Billi Shiraz A cool-area red that is plump has a bucket of spice and just a little dusty earth or age- complexity creeping in. This is a fruit-driven Victorian red designed for drinking soon, so we would do just that - this winter. Great value wine with a goulash, osso buco or any sticky braise.
$ Rabbit Ranch 2009 Pinot Noir (NZ)
each by mixed 6pk
A brilliant light brick red colour with red berry fruit along with some spicy oak, briary gamey characters and good length. Well packaged and priced, you’d be hopping mad (sorry) if you didn’t buy a couple of bottles of this Central Otago wine. Serve with a bunny casserole, you wouldn’t find a more appropriate dish.
Autumn 2011
Wine is bottled poetry. Robert Louis Stevenson
2199
2299
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Mon Redon 2007 Côte du Rhône (Fr)
Shingleback 2009 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon
We love this wine from winemaker Jean Abeille with its haunting pepper, spice and cherry fruit, its medium-weighted palate with rustic characters and great length. A few in the panel went straight to the Rhone France and the gold medal bucket when tasting this (all our wines are served masked) as it’s a beautifully made classic from the region.
Here’s a lovely concentrated small-batch warm-area wine that has a black/ red colour and displays blackcurrant and intense dried fruit characters, quality oak integration, dollops of dark chocolate and a great structure featuring firm tannins and balancing acid finish. Has plenty of mid-palate flavour that is missing in many cool area cabernets. Triple gold medal winner.
$
2299
2399
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
SC Pannell 2009 Pronto
West Cape Howe 2009 Book Ends Cabernet Sauvignon
This is Steve Pannell’s Australian answer to a Côte du Rhône red, albeit with the additional kick of touriga nacional (13%), a Portuguese port variety. Deep brick red in colour with sweet raspberry fruit, it’s supported on the palate by a dash of spice and dusty tannins. A style that deserves to be consumed in its youth or for short term maturation only.
Deep ruby red and a mauve rim, with a nose of blackcurrant and a whiff of capsicum. The palate is of medium weight with classical leafiness and then oak chimes in with a nutty complexity. An underrated Great Southern cabernet that has enormous value, we love it, especially at the price it sells for.
2299
3299
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Matahiwi Estate 2009 Wairarapa Pinot Noir (NZ)
Jacob’s Creek 2008 St Hugo Shiraz
Mid red with an orange rim, this has cherry and rhubarb fruitiness along with some funky herbal and spice characters and the background earthiness of oak. An elegant style of pinot from Wairarapa, just north-east of Wellington city. A wine to be enjoyed soon, especially with quail or duck.
It’s the wonderful use of oak in this wine that excites us and the way it complements the dark rich mulberry Barossa fruit. Add to that, layers of chocolate, anise spice and thick juicy texture, firm tannins and finishing acidity and you have a beautifully structured and balanced package that will drink well for another decade. Brilliant shiraz, a panel knockout.
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