The Tasting Bench Chilled Summer Reds

Tasting Bench

White wine and rosé are predictable drinking choices in the warmer months, but what about a good chilled red? They can be a great alternative, however, a red wine needs to embody certain characteristics before it can be successfully chilled down. Lighter body styles with plenty of primary fruit and low tannins are good picks. Chilling can make tannins and new oak scream at you from the glass in a very unpleasant way, we wouldn’t recommend giving your prized cellared Grange a long dose in the freezer for example. Drinks Trade’s expert panel tasted their way through Pinot Noirs, Gamays and Sparkling Reds to address which wines were best chilled down for optimum summer drinking.

THE TASTING

The tasting panel blind-tasted three brackets of chilled red wine - Pinot Noirs, Sparking Reds, Gamays and other blends and varietals suitable for chilling. We adopted The Wine Advocate/Robert Parker 100-point wine-scoring scale: • 96–100 – Extraordinary • 90–95 – Outstanding • 80–89 – Barely above average to very good • 70–79 – Average • 60–69 – Below average • 50–59 – Unacceptable

Drinks Trade published all the wines that scored above 85 points as an average.

THE VERDICT

As a rule the wines that were fruitier with slight residual sugar, while being balanced with good clean acid, really rose to the occasion when chilled. Our highest scorer was an impressive entry level fruit-forward wine that impressed the judges chilled. It retails for $11 a bottle. Congratulations Richland Pinot Noir 2017. The sparkling red category didn’t score so highly. General feedback wasthe majority presented as too simple and one dimensional with amplified sugar.

THE PANEL

RALPH KYTE-POWELL

Ralph Kyte-Powell has worked in the wine and hospitality industries for over thirty years including roles as a wine marketer, retailer, sommelier, vigneron, lecturer and owner/operator of a small hotel. Ralph began writing twenty years ago and has been a regular contributor to Delicious, Cuisine, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and is best known as former co-editor of the Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide.

MEIRA HAREL

Meira started working in hospitality 12 years ago in an Italian restaurant called ‘Bellini’ in Tel Aviv, Israel. After roles as a restaurant manager and a successful sommelier, Meira came to Melbourne six years ago to learn more about food, wine and service. Since here she has worked at some of Victoria’s finest restaurants – Brooks, Grossi Florentino, The Lake House and The Town Mouse. Meira is now an independent sommelier, one of the co-founders of the hospitality conference ‘GROW Assembly’ and was named The Age Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year for 2016.

SHARON WILD

Sharon has been pursuing her passion for wine as both a hobby and career for the past 25 years. Her wine industry experience is extensive and focuses on education and communication. She has taught wine courses at all levels, from basic wine appreciation classes to the internationally accredited WSET’s, and is an experienced presenter. She has contributed articles to wine magazines, judged on tasting panels and at wine shows. She has engaged in Master of Wine studies and passed the tasting component of the exam and was a Len Evan’s Tutorial Scholar.

MORGAN DUNN

Morgan began in the hospitality industry to fund his studies. He graduated from food runner to assistant sommelier at Richmond’s Pearl restaurant in Melbourne and went on to work for The Lucas Group as a beverage manager, first at Chin Chin, then at Baby Pizzeria, and finally Kisume, where he was on the opening wine team as Head Sommelier. He currently pulls corks on the wine team at Coda. Morgan has been contributing to The Australian Life pages for the past two years and in September 2017 was named Emerging Wine Writer of the Year at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Awards as well as winning the Best Featured Articles or Wine Column category at the Wine Communicators of Australia awards in November 2017.

The Tasting Bench is proudly sponsored by

Richland Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $11 Region: King Valley Distributor: Calabria Wines Points: 93

Judge’s comments:

“Intense, ripe and good concentration, silky and fine, a good wine.” Ralph Kyte-Powell. “Great perfumed length and an accomplished integration of tannin and acid.” Morgan Dunn. “Fruit driven on the palate but not too ripe, balanced and with good acid.” Meira Harel. “A fruity, structured wine showing lovely mineral and earth characters with a long elegant finish.” Sharon Wild

Banks Road Estate 2015

RRP: $28 Region: Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria Distributor: Domaine Wine Shippers Points: 91

Judge’s comments:

“Crunchy red fruit on nose and palate, well balanced and elegant structure with fresh, clean finish. A very moreish wine.” Sharon Wild

Taylor Made Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $25 Region: Adelaide Hills Distributor: Taylors Wines Points: 91

Judge’s comments:

“Nice little wine. Layered with herbal notes on the nose and palate, lots of cherry fruit with a bit of sweetness. A very friendly wine.” Meira Harel

Bouchard La Vignee Pinot Noir 2016

RRP: $30 Region: Burgundy Distributor: Domaine Wine Shippers Points: 90

Judge’s comments:

“I really like the nose on this wine. It’s vibrant and the fruit is expressive. Great tannins, crunchy acid, cleansing.” Meira Harel

Domaine de la Pousse D’Or Santanay Clos Tavannes 2013

RRP: $118 Region: Burgundy Distributor: Domaine Wine Shippers Points: 89

Judge’s comments:

“Dense opulent dark fruit on the palate, soft and mellow in style.” Morgan Dunn

Coombe Farm Estate Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $37 Region: Yarra Valley Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Group Points: 89

Judge’s comments:

“Strawberry and red florals yet meaty and savoury on the palate. Good food wine with that level of acid.” Meira Harel

Babich Family Estate Black Label Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $38 Region: Marlborough Distributor: Domaine Wine Shippers Points: 89

Judge’s comments:

“Fruit forward and succulent, clean, floral, light and fresh.” Ralph Kyte-Powell

Villa Ponciago Beaujolais Village Gamay 2018

RRP: $28 Region: Beaujolais Distributor: Domaine Wine Shippers Points: 88.5

Judge’s comments:

“Pretty, light, juicy and jammy – everything you could want from a Gamay.” Morgan Dunn

Framingham Noboby’s Hero Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $25 Region: Marlborough Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Group Points: 88

Judge’s comments:

“Fragrant, fruity, juicy and intense.” Ralph Kyte-Powell

Mud House Pinot Noir 2017

RRP: $24.99 Region: Central Otago Distributor: Accolade Wines Points: 88

Judge’s comments:

“Intriguing nose, good texture, balanced acid with long finish. It’s an interesting wine with personality.” Meira Harel

Bream Creek Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2015

RRP: $59 Region: Tasmania Distributor: Fesq and Co Points: 87

Judge’s comments:

“Lifted plum fruit nose, well balanced, long fruit and spice finish.” Sharon Wild

Heartland Foreign Correspondent Dolcetto and Langrein 2018

RRP: $25 Region: Langhorne Creek Distributor: Heartland Wines Points: 87

Judge’s comments:

“Tangy and likeable. Juicy and clean.” Ralph Kyte-Powell

De Bortoli Woodfired Sparkling Shiraz NV

RRP: $19.99 Region: Heathcote Distributor: De Bortoli Wines Points: 85

Judge’s comments:

“Classical, berries and spice, round and complete, long and velvety with good structure and balance.” Ralph Kyte-Powell

Grant Burge Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet NV

RRP: $29.99 Region: Barossa Distributor: Accolade Wines Points: 85

Judge’s comments:

“Interesting nose with Christmas spices, finish is sweet.” Meira Harel

Leconfield NC Syn Rouge NV

RRP: $18 Region: Coonawarra Distributor: Veraison Wines, NSW and Westwood Wines, Vic. See www.leconfieldwines.com/distributors/ australia for other states. Points: 85

Judge’s comments:

“This is a surprise. Lovely balance, roundness of fruit, acid and length.” Morgan Dunn