OntheVine Winter 2012
On the Vine
inside: Pinot Noir Distinctive Reds All Season Whites
Premium Wine Buying Guide
All panel selected
Ends 2nd September 2012
We lco me Brrrrr! We’re in the depths of winter – wind, rain and chilly temperatures, no better reason to crank up the fire and open a bottle of hearty red wine. There are many listed here that will give you great pleasure and are terrific value, ranging from a couple of lighter NZ pinots to some full-blooded opulent sweet-fruited Barossa shiraz. And we haven’t forgotten the white wine drinkers with a great mix of varietals and blends. Bunker down and hop 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.
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. Edith Sitwell
Pinot Noir 1599
2499
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
$17.99 single It doesn’t get much cooler than the southerly Central Otago region of New Zealand and the pinot from there is internationally acclaimed. This one is light brick red in colour with cherry fruit and sweaty aromas and has a mid-weight palate of savoury fruit, spice and a drying tannic finish. Not the juicy fleshy style we often see from the region, but it’s good all the same.
Totara 2010 Pinot Noir (NZ)
each by mixed 6pk
Wairau River 2010 Pinot Noir (NZ)
$27.99 single Luminous mid red in the glass this Marlborough pinot has a wild berry nose and a funky smoky stamp of French oak. The palate is well-rounded in typical Kiwi pinot style and has fleshy strawberry fruit and oak cascading along its good length to a cleansing acid finish. Drinks well now or for short term maturation.
Winter 2012
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. Victor Hugo
$
W h i t e s $
Willunga 100 2010 Pinot Gris
$19.99 single From the Adelaide Hills, this is a light refreshing wine with varietal poached pear characteristics and a waft of floral aromatics. The palate is elegant, long dry and cleansing with zesty acidity. Made without any oak influence, we would drink this in its youth and with a light cheese and crisp green salad.
1399
1799
$
each by mixed 6pk
Barking Owl 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
$14.99 single Thoroughly enjoyable fresh and youthful blend. Has the perfumed aromatics of lemon blossom, a hint of spice and a beautifully balanced palate of tropical fruit and grass with a crunchy texture, a sprinkle of residual sugar and crisp finish. Attractively priced and a wine to drink in its youth.
each by mixed 6pk
De Bortoli 2010 Gulf Station Chardonnay
$19.99 single Attractive youthful bright straw appearance and a nose of poached peach with subtle roasted nuts lead you to a light palate of citrus fruit, mealy characters and refreshing acidity. A drink-soon Yarra Valley chardonnay suited to flavoursome fish dishes or white meats. Very good value.
1399
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
Plantagenet 2011 Omrah Sauvignon Blanc
$14.99 single Dressed in a smart new packaging, this Great Southern youngster is a relatively simply-made wine, although 20% is barrel fermented and lees matured and this adds a lick of smoke and funk to the wine. Other than that, it has delightful citrus fruit, good palate weight and is flinty and crisp. A value wine that is rocketing off our shelves.
1799
each by mixed 6pk
1899
each by mixed 6pk
Castle Rock 2011 Riesling
$19.99 single Very promising young riesling from the Porongurups in the Great Southern. There is citrus blossom and lime juice here with a long dry palate and sabrelike crunching acidity. This label is typically austere as a youngster and with age, develops complex flavours, weight and balance. This vintage is no different; it requires patience and a special spot in your cellar.
Winter 2012
Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories. Anonymous
$
2199
$
each by mixed 6pk
Skillogalee 2011 Riesling
$23.99 single Grown on the cool high slopes of Clare, the grapes for this wine were hand picked and sorted and then carefully fermented to provide the dry lemony crispness we see here. Add to this a fine steely mineral spine and long crunching acid finish and we have a wine that drinks perfectly well now, or will age for at least half a decade in the bottle.
Pemberley 2010 Chardonnay
$26.99 single A single vineyard wine beautifully crafted from hand-picked fruit from the cool grape-growing region of Pemberton. The wine shows nutty oak-fermentation characters and a light creaminess from lees stirring and the typical elegant white peach and smokiness of Pemby chardonnay. Attractive drinking now or for short-term maturation.
2499
2199
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Flametree 2011 Chardonnay
$23.99 single From a couple of sub-regions of Margaret River, this is a cracking modern chardonnay that displays great symmetry even in its youth. You’ll see wonderful grapefruit and stone fruit flavours that drive the wine and a silky texture meshing with subtle oak. It has terrific length and finish. We’ll be hopping in and relishing this over the next couple of years.
$ $26.99 single
2499
each by mixed 6pk
2499
each by mixed 6pk
Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay 2011
$27.99 single The Mornington Peninsula on Victoria’s south coast was the birthplace of this young chardonnay. It’s a reserved style, a light elegant wine with lemon, grapefruit and honeydew melon, light oak is there along with a stony chalky texture and tart acidity. Will develop well in the short term.
2699
$
$28.99 single each by mixed 6pk
Saint Clair 2011 Pioneer Block 6 Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
Cullen 2010 Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
There’s a lifted aroma of citrus and passionfruit in this Marlborough wine along with some freshly mown grass and it has a super-long palate with herbaceous notes and good weight and balance. A single-block wine that Saint Clair makes when the fruit is strong enough to support it. Drink in the next two years.
There’s a slightly different approach to this Margaret River blend by Cullen as its fermented using natural yeasts and a small percentage is aged in new French oak for four months. We enjoy the difference, it has lively citrus fruit, good texture, balance and minerality along with fine cleansing acidity. Should age well for a few years.
Winter 2012
Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do – or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so. Stanley Crawford
$
Reds $
Smith & Hooper 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot $16.99 single Wrattonbully is on the Limestone Coast way south of Adelaide and although it may not be that well known, the cool maritime region produces pretty good wines. Following the warm 2008 vintage, this is another lovely blackberry and plum-fruited wine with spice, oak and tannins. It can be cellared for a few years for those with the room. Well-presented young red.
1299
1599
$
each by mixed 6pk
$14.99 single The Barossa and this very good vintage were too much for De Bortoli to miss and they have produced this attractive red wine. Fruit is sourced across a number of sub-regions and the wine is a medium-weighted youngster with pepper, chocolate, red berries, accommodating tannins, good structure and finish. Drink over the next three years. Value!
De Bortoli 2010 Regional Classic Barossa Shiraz
$
1499
each by mixed 6pk
Whistler 2010 Albert Heinrich Shiraz
$16.99 single Another Barossa shiraz from this smart vintage and named after the Pfeiffer family’s grandfather who was a well-known local vigneron. Check out the plummy, sweet oak characters in this wine and the warmth of the palate, the ripe tannins, firm structure and finishing acid. Drinks well now with a ‘beef stew and mash’ or tuck it in your cellar for a couple of years.
1499
each by mixed 6pk
each by mixed 6pk
Alamos 2011 Malbec (Arg)
$17.99 single Malbec the variety arguably grows better in this part of the world than anywhere else. Alamos have their malbec vineyards at over 3000 feet in the Andes and the result is a deep coloured red with a bundle of cherry and blackcurrant fruit, light spicy toasty oak characters and chalky tannins. The average Argentinean would eat a butt of beef with this, you’ll probably settle for a grilled T-bone.
1799
$
$19.99 single each by mixed 6pk
Pertaringa 2010 Tin Man Tempranillo Graciano Garnacha Unusual young Australian red wine from the Adelaide foothills in that it is made from the three most popular Spanish red varieties and as a fresh cleansing drink-now style with absolutely no oak whatsoever. Unscrew the top, splash it into a large glass and sit back and quaff it soon. If you have a chicken/chorizo paella recipe in the kitchen drawer, this would be the ideal wine to serve with it.
Winter 2012
Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. Anonymous
1899
1899
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
Teusner 2010 ‘The Gentleman’ Cabernet Sauvignon $21.99 single A Barossa Eden Valley cabernet sauvignon from a good vintage, which have been rare in this part of the world lately. It wears a cloak of spicy oak over licorice, dark plum, chocolate and velvety tannins. Coffee notes and forest floor add another dimension. Drink in the next four to five years.
$
each by mixed 6pk
Montrose 2006 Pietra Sangiovese
$21.99 single The earliest plantings of sangiovese in Oz are in Mudgee on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range at the Montrose vineyards. They sit high at 550 metres above sea level and produce a style here that is more New World than savoury Italian. Mid brick in colour and sweet fruited and leathery on the nose, the wine is rounded soft and very quaffable right now. Drink this winter with your favourite Italian tucker.
1899
2199
$
each by mixed 6pk
Majella 2011 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz
$21.99 single Made from cabernet sauvignon (55%) and shiraz (45%) grown in Coonawarra, this well-priced youngster is a fruit-driven style with buckets of mulberry and wild blackberry, fresh herbs and dried spice, fine tannins and cleansing acid. Oak is a bit player here, the fruit does most of the talking. Drink over the next three years.
each by mixed 6pk
Wirra Wirra 2010 Catapult Shiraz
$23.99 single Opulent, perfumed, fruity, this red has the lot. It’s typical luscious ripe McLaren shiraz in all its glory with a squirt of the zesty white variety viognier which gives it extra zing to the nose and a fruit and spice extension to the palate. New to the well-known Wirra Wirra brand, it should be a flying success. Short term maturation is best.
1899
2299
$
$
each by mixed 6pk
Tin Shed 2009 Melting Pot Shiraz
$21.99 single Lovely ripe juicy Barossa shiraz with all the varietal and regional characteristics we love. A deep rich red colour, it’s plummy, spicy and has a licorice lift and the palate is rounded, succulent and very approachable now. Good stuff and we like the Tin Shed association, an indication of a small personal yet insignificant area where the wine is made.
each by mixed 6pk
Reschke Vitulus 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
$24.99 single This vintage was a hot one in Coonawarra, so expect to see bigger softer characteristics than normal in this release. The wine is deep bishop’s red in colour and has loads of ripe fruit and vanilla oak on the nose and has a rich palate with very generous spicy fruity flavours. It drinks so well now, we wouldn’t worry about further aging.
Your On The Vine Stores Liquor Barons Swanbourne
Liquor Barons Claremont
Liquor Barons Marmion
Liquor Barons Busselton
Liquor Barons Dalkeith
Liquor Barons Herdsman
133 Waratah Ave P: 9386 8749
Shop 5 - 1 Flynn Street P: 9387 4222
Liquor Barons Carlisle
Liquor Barons Jolimont
Liquor Barons Wembley Downs
103 Claremont Crescent P: 9384 2111
Cnr Duchess & Queen Street P: 9754 8606
88 Bishopgate Street P: 9361 1335
12 Ashton Avenue P: 9384 6458
24 Cardigan Terrace P: 9387 3226
Shop 16 - 19 Sheppard Way P: 9447 6744
Shop 1 -11 Bournemouth Cres P: 9245 2484
Specials end 2/9/12. 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