Winestate Magazine Special Edition 2011

SPECIAL EDITION 2011 WINESTATE VOL 34 ISSUE 7 AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND WINE BUYING GUIDEWINE OF THE YEAR AWARDS RIESLING QUEENSLAND SAUVIGNON BLANC PINOT GRIS/PINOT GRIGIO 60-Page WINE OF THE YEARS P E C I A L E D I T I O N 2 0 1 1 special feature Home‘ Port’ to the best wines, end the Journey winemakers & wine companies of the year DENIS AND YOSHIJI’S WINE ADVENTURE: PART 3 STRANGE BIRDS IN MY coCnLtIMroAvTEeArNsyD BACK YARD OAK PLAYS ITS PARTPRINT POST APPROVED PP565001/00129 Special Edition 2011 490 Vol 34 Issue 7 $9.95 AUS (inc GST) NZ $10.95 SGD $14.95 US $14.99 UKP/EUR 7.95 China RMB100 HKD $120 NEW RELEASES TASTED plus Queensland Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

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NO.245 SPECIAL EDITION 2011Editor & Publisher Peter Simic E-mail: [email protected] Crushed.Managing Editor Lara Simic E-mail: [email protected] Editor Michael Cooper E-mail: [email protected] Michael BatesAdministration Vicki Bozsoki E-mail: [email protected] Director Renate Klockner E-mail: [email protected] Manager Peter Jackson E-mail: [email protected] Coordinator Stephen Dean E-mail: [email protected] DAI RubiconWinestate Web Site Justin Martin E-mail: [email protected] South Wales Winsor Dobbin, Elisabeth King, Clive HartleySouth Australia Skye Murtagh, Joy Walterfang, Valmai Hankel, Nigel HopkinsVictoria Jeni Port, Hilary McNevinWestern Australia Mike Zekulich, Rod ProperjohnQueensland Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, Andrew Corrigan MW, Lizzie LoelNew Zealand Michael Cooper, Jane Skilton MWNational Travel Winsor DobbinUSA Gerald D. BoydEUROPE André Pretorius, Giorgio Fragiacomo, Sally Easton MWASIA Denis GastonADVERTISING SALESAustralia, New Zealand & InternationalPeter Jackson, Winestate PublicationsPhone: (08) 8357 9277 E-mail: [email protected] O’Reilly, Public Relations - [email protected] Reid, Sponsorship Consultant - [email protected], South Australia & VictoriaWinestate Magazine (08) 8357 9277E-mail: [email protected] Bradley Phone: (07) 3391 6633 E-mail: [email protected] AustraliaKym Burke - O’Keeffe Media Services (08) 9381 7766WINESTATE New Zealand AdministrationKay Morganty Phone: (09) 479 1253 E-mail: [email protected] Crush 2011 is over...AustraliaGordon and Gotch Australia P/L but to all those who got Crushed with us, weNew Zealand thank you for your attendance and support.Independent Magazine DistributorsInternational Cellar door sales and tastings, open sevenDAI Rubicon days all year round, 11am – 5pm.Hong Kong & China 141 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Woodside,Everwise Wine Limited South Australia.UKComag Ph: +618 8389 7706BRAZIL facebook.com/barristersblockWalker Distribution barristersblock.com.auUSASource Interlink InternationalWINESTATE is published seven times a year by WINESTATE PUBLISHING PTY LTD,81 King William Road, Unley SA 5061.Copyright 2011 by WINESTATE PUBLISHING PTY LTD. This publication may not, in wholeor in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronicmedium or machine-readable form without the express permission of the publisher.Every care is taken in compiling the contents of this publication, but the publisher assumesno responsibility for the effects arising therefrom.ABN 56 088 226 411Winestate Telephone (08) 8357 9277 Facsimile (08) 8357 9212E-mail [email protected] Web Site www.winestate.com.au BBW104 BBW104 Crushed Wine State Magazine 270x59.indd 13/3/11 12:03:03 PM

contentsSPECIAL EDITION 2011FEATURES R E G U L A R S24 Strange birds in my backyard 12 Briefs European ReportTo help overcome Queensland’s 16 with Sally Easton MW Wine Tutor with Clive Hartley“identity crisis”, David Stevens-Castro Wine Travel with Elisabeth Kingdescribes the Granite Belt Tourism Wine History with Valmai Hankelauthority’s new user-friendly guide 18 Grapevine How We Judgebook Strange Bird, which details the 20 Wine Investment & Collecting What’s it Worth? region’s wine trail and encourages 22 Aftertaste WINE OF wine lovers to discover an alternative 104 wine variety or “Strange Bird”. 1 09 SPECIAL FEATURE 11028 Home ‘port’ to end the journey 118 THE YEAR In the third and final part of their great Australian Wine Adventure Tour, starts page 39Yoshiji Sato and Denis Gastin finally 1 62 The cross-Tasman rivalry is alive andcross the South Australian border and well, with the Kiwis marching off with Winestate magazine’s top trophy for 2011.explore the state’s top wine regions. This year, for our best of the best32 Climate and controversy W I N E TAST I N G S awards,we expanded the judging classes from 12 to 14, adding theWest Australian scientist and author 120 Sauvignon Blanc & Blends alternative red and white varietals and blends wines to reflect the increasedDr John Gladstones doesn’t mind a 128 Queensland interest in non-mainstream varietals.fight and he certainly is going to get 130 Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigioone from some of his colleagues, And we gave panel chairman Ian McKenzie the task of unearthing thewrites Mike Zekulich, after the release 132 Riesling top drops Australian and New Zealand winemakers bottled.of Gladstones’ new book, Wine, Apart from revealing our major winners,Terroir and Climate Change. runners-up, class winners and finalists, we have also announced the major awards34 Oak plays its part 135 New Releases and Top 40 for Australian and New Zealand Wine “Serious” sauvignon blanc makers Best Buys under $20. Companies and Winemakers of the Year. need to exploit the oak factor, writes Jane Skilton MW, as she traces the use of barrel fermentation. Winestate Magazine For a complete list of what we tasted for this Issue Number 245 issue please refer to www.winestate.com.au Special Edition 2011 Cover photograph Orange Lane Studios.

SAUVIGNON BLANCOF THE YEAR 2011 Giesen ‘ e Brothers’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 5 StarsThe Brothers Always pushing the boundaries to deliver wines people love to drink the Giesen boys felt it was about time they stretched their wings — hence the brothers range was born.All the best, from the Giesen Brothers.“Only passion leads to excellence.”Follow us on facebook.com/giesenwines www.giesenwines.comFollow us on twitter.com/giesenwines

The Goose Island.A gaggle of easy-drinking, affordable wines from McLaren Vale. Each Goose that resides on Goose Island in nearby Lake Serafino, has its own unique personality. The Geese are a constant source of enjoyment and entertainment, just like our wines. Cellar Door Open Daily 10am - 4.30pm Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia 5171 Tel 08 8323 0157 [email protected] www.serafinowines.com.au Enjoy wine responsibly

editorialIT HAD TO HAPPEN ONE YEAR AND THIS YEAR,in what could become known as “the year of the Kiwi”, not only didNew Zealand win the World Rugby Cup, but also has taken out theWinestate Wine of the Year. What makes it a “shock horror” momentfor Aussies is that the wine that won was a New Zealand syrah fromthe Craggy Range Vineyard in Hawkes Bay. So, for the first time aNew Zealand wine has taken on, and beaten, the big Aussie shirazbruisers, as well as winning the overall trophy. Described by Winestate Wine of the Year panel chairman, IanMcKenzie, as a superb example of a cool climate “Rhone style”, thiswine topped the best from over 10,000 Australian and New Zealandwines tasted throughout the year by expert industry peer group panelsin Australia and New Zealand. This year we added two wine categories to judge, the alternative redand white varietals and blend wines, reflecting the increased interestin varietals other than mainstream ones. Of the 14 categories (seepage 39 for the results) it was a dead heat between New Zealandand Australia, with both winning seven categories. In my editorial for the 2010 Wine of the Year issue I made theprophetic comment that it was “interesting to see the occasional syrah wine from New Zealand now offeringserious competition to their Australian counterparts”. This proved to be true with the Craggy Range 2009Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Syrah taking the top gong for shiraz/syrah in this tasting. For New Zealand thechampagne continued to flow with winners in the sparkling category, Twin Islands Marlborough Pinot NoirChardonnay Non-Vintage; Merlot & Blends category, Crossroads Winery Vineyard Selection Kereru RoadMerlot Cabernet 2009; Alternative White Varietals & Blends category, Passage Rock Waiheke Island Viognier2009; and Alternative Red Varietals & Blends category, Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Malbec 2009. Notsurprisingly, the Kiwi’s cleaned up in the sauvignon blanc category, with all five placegetters, including thewinner Giesen The Brothers Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010. It was a similar story for the pinot noir withall five placegetters from New Zealand (where are the Mornington Wines?) including the winner, LowburnFerry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010, a true boutique treasure! Somewhat of a surprise wasto see a Clare Valley winery, Artwine Clare Valley Pinot Grigio 2011, take out the trophy for that categoryagainst stiff Kiwi opposition. Also, this year the chardonnay trophy category was dominated by Aussie wines,including the winner Mistletoe Reserve Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2009. (“Have the Kiwi’s moved to moreresidual sweetness and phenolics?”, was one judges comment.) Not surprisingly, the categories of semillon (winner: Coolangatta Estate Shoalhaven Coast Semillon 2006),cabernet sauvignon (winner: Saracen Estates Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2008), riesling(winner: Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley Riesling 2011) were dominated by Australian entries. Fortifieds wereonce again the province of Morris Wines (winner: Morris Old Premium Rutherglen Rare Tawny non-vintage)with the excitement being that it wasn’t a Morris muscat or tokay this year. Sweet wines were split down themiddle with both countries performing well, with Bunnamagoo Estate Kids Earth Autumn Harvest MudgeeSemillon 2010, the ultimate winner. Our sincere congratulations to the winners and finalists of all categories and to our Winemakers of the Year,David Morris for Australia and Dominic Maxwell for New Zealand, and our Wine Companies of the Year,Morris (Australia) and Saint Clair (New Zealand). Finally, our thanks go to all our sponsors for this tasting and all the judges who have evaluated these winesthroughout the year to help us get to this point. It is a massive task and we could not have achieved this resultwithout your help. Cheers! Peter Simic Editor/PublisherSpecial Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 11

briefsGROWING FAMILY that fluctuated between both warm and cold weather saw the little- known Italian white grape perform extremely well.FOR 35 years St. Hugo hasbeen just one wine, a cabernet “We’ve had some tough vintages which validated fiano for me,”sauvignon from Coonawarra. he says. Vintage 2010 was warm and dry in the Hills, while 2011Now it’s set to become three. was cool and wet. “I learnt a lot this year. If we can get good resultsOrlando Wines is building on in 2010 and 2011, then we can get good results consistently,” hethe brand, in marketing lingo it’s says. The grape holds good natural acidity, and the fruit spectrumcalled a brand “extension”, and ranges from citrus and pear through to tropical fruits and spices.will introduce two new red wines Scott has already moved to double production of the wine.under the St. Hugo banner. BACK ON TRACK The additions come afterthe company reached out to consumers and the wine trade for THE REVIVAL of Seppeltsfield, the historic winery of the Barossatheir input. “They weren’t much interested in a white wine,” says Valley dating back to 1851, has been likened to the raising of thechief winemaker Bernard Hickin, “but they were interested in red. Titanic. It’s been a major project to restart the winery following its saleQuality had to be solid.” to private investors in 2007, but under the new management team, led by managing director Warren Randall, there are signs of renewal. The new entrants under the St. Hugo banner are a Barossashiraz and a Barossa grenache, shiraz and mataro blend. At the 35th Barossa Wine Show in September the company took outA Barossa shiraz cabernet blend is expected to follow and be three trophies, including most successful exhibitor, along with ninereleased in March/April. Hickin and red winemaker Sam Kurtz medals. Renowned as the repository of the greatest fortified winewanted to show the more elegant side of Barossa shiraz in the collection in the country, it won major success outside the fortifiednew St. Hugo wines. “It’s not all about power,” adds Hickin. classes winning trophies for its 2011 Elm Walk Eden Valley Riesling and the 2010 Grenache, Shiraz, Touriga blend. “It’s been a great privilege to The company expects news of the extended St. Hugo family to be play a part in the dawning of a new age at Seppeltsfield,” says Randall.less of an issue with consumers than when it rebranded some ofits best-known Orlando wines under the Jacobs Creek banner sixyears ago. As to whether the company risks diluting the St. Hugobrand, Hickin remains cool and confident. “Cabernet will be thecentrepiece of what St. Hugo is all about.”ONE FOR THE FUTUREAS CLIMATE change threatens to alter the winegrowing landscapefor Australian wines, one Adelaide Hills winemaker reckons he hasfound a grape variety for the future. Fiano is the grape and SamScott, at Scott Wines in the Adelaide Hills, says recent vintages12 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

briefsSAD PASSING “It is widely accepted that excessive drinking, particularly over an extended period, is a significant health risk, but moderateTHE SOUTH Australian wine consumption is an accepted part of a healthy lifestyle for thoseindustry is mourning the loss who choose it.” The WFA was angered at recent reports comingof Dina Grilli of Primo Estate, out of the Alcohol Policy Coalition, a group comprising the Cancerwho died on September Council, Heart Foundation, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug24 after a long battle with Centre, VicHealth and the Australian Drug Foundation.cancer. She was 47 yearsold. Dina, with husband Joe The Cancer Council was also recently attacked as “twoGrilli, were the creative force faced” by Tasmanian wine producer Steve Lubiana (pictured),behind the wines of Primo who claimed the Council continued to seek wine sponsorship forEstate in McLaren Vale, its functions while publicly condemning alcohol as a toxin andcelebrating their Italian heritage with solid, new world winemaking. cause of cancer. Beer maker James Boag was recently noted as a gold sponsor at one Council event. One Primo Estate wine, the 2009 Zamberlan Cabernet SangioveseBlend, was named in honour of Dina’s father, Rinaldo, who suggested RIESLING RIDING HIGHthe couple use an old Italian winemaking tradition of ripasso, passingthe red wine blend over the grape skins left over from their Joseph THE 2011 vintage looks like being one of the best in years forModa cabernet. Dina’s lasting legacy is the company’s stylish Australian riesling. The cooler year was a godsend to winemakersmodern cellar door complex, a little bit of Versace in the Vales. following years of drought and while some riesling did suffer from botrytis mould, there was an air of high expectation regardingWFA HITS BACK quality. Now the wines are in the bottle, they are fulfilling that early promise. “I am delighted with the vintage,” says Louisa Rose,THE WINEMAKERS’ chief winemaker for Yalumba and the woman behind the range ofFederation of Australia has Pewsey Vale rieslings from the Eden Valley. “We had a lot of rainhit back at recent media but we also had a lot of coolness and riesling loves coolness.”reports suggesting red winehas no “special, protective” At Whicher Ridge Wines, in Geographe Western Australia,health benefits. “This constant winemaker Cathy Howard is over the moon with her 2011 rieslingbarrage of media releases from and considers it one of the best she has ever made. The formerthe anti-alcohol lobby trying winemaker at St. Hallett says the intensity of fruit in 2011 shouldto convince the public that all definitely make the 2011 vintage worthy of extended cellar time.alcohol is bad all the time ismisleading, especially when each release invariably acknowledges At Xabregas Wines, Mount Barker, senior winemaker Martinthat to reduce your lifetime risk of alcohol-related harm, you should drink Cooper experienced warmer temperatures than most during theno more than two standard drinks on any day,” states the Federation. 2011 vintage but overall considers the grape fared particularly well. The vintage is expected to shine at this year’s Canberra International Riesling Challenge.SIMON HACKETTFourth generation, Barossa Valley born, TRADE ENQUIRIES:Winemaker Simon Hackett established his winery S.A. Chace Agencies 08 8363 7881 [email protected] a fertile hill overlooking McLaren Vale over VIC Working Wine 0407 053 663 [email protected] years ago. Simon Hackett produces a stunning NSW Estate Wine Distributors [email protected] of wines including the very popular limited QLD Estate Wine Distributors 0405 106 207 [email protected] Anthony's Reserve Shiraz and Foggo UK & Europe - ABS Wine Agencies [email protected] Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Drop into Hong Kong - Vins de France Corp (ABS Asia Ltd) [email protected] cellar door for a tasting and take in the Simon Hackett Wines, Budgens Road, McLaren Valestunning panoramic views. (08) 8323 7712 [email protected] Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 13

briefsEXCLUSIVE TASTE TEAMRELEASE CHANGEIT’S THE most exclusive wine RHONDA Sear is the newto be made by a Mudgee executive officer of Tasteproducer – and is in very short Orange, the organisationsupply. The 2009 vintage that promotes wine andof the Lowe Zinfandel has food from the Orangerecently been released, the region, and organisesfirst since the 2006. several annual festivals. “Having made both zinfandel She takes over from Tasteand pinot noir for many years, Orange’s founding executiveI can say with some certainty officer Kim Currie, who hasthat zinfandel is harder to stepped down from the role tomake than pinot noir,” says pursue other interests. Sear heldwinemaker David Lowe. several senior management positions within the tourism and hospitality industries over the past 30 “The natural wine of zinfandel is light, alcoholic and sweet. years, including roles with All Seasons Hotels and Qantas Jetabout.The darker plum and Christmas cake style that the Californians take “We’re extremely pleased to have Rhonda join us at Taste Orange,” saidownership of is a rare version. The difference lies in how you treat Taste Orange chairman Peter Robson. “Rhonda has vast experiencethe vineyard. “When we established the vineyard, our collaborators in in both tourism and management which fits well within our structure.Sonoma insisted that the vineyard must be dry grown, head pruned orbush vine and preferably organic. Crop thinning regularly and often “Taste Orange was formed five years ago under the guidance ofwas also suggested, due to the variety’s habit of uneven ripening. We Kim Currie. Kim did a magnificent job in building Taste Orange andhave taken this advice. “In the winery the objective, again taken from getting us to where we are now. Rhonda has the skills, experiencetheir experience, is to aim for lower alcohol levels and to mature the and relationships to take Taste Orange to the next level.”wine in American oak for a period that ensures that the tannins soften. Taste Orange was formed after Orange winemakers saw the need to “I’d be certifiably mad not to take their advice. In 2009 we twice collaborate with Orange food producers, accommodation owners andcrop thinned to ensure the remaining fruit was of exceptional tourism operators in order to build brand Orange in the increasinglyquality. The wine was fermented in open, wax lined concrete competitive market. Since its inception, Taste Orange has helped buildfermenters and then matured in 2250L American oak casks for 22 awareness for Orange through its ongoing promotional work suchmonths to ensure that the tannins had integrated.” as Taste Orange @ Bondi, Orange Wine Week and F.O.O.D. Week. The Lowe Zinfandel is produced only in years where Lowe is “I’m looking forward to working with the Taste Orange team andconfident that the quality is of the highest standard. “We’d love all the members. We are seeing excellent growth of Orange winesto produce this wine every year, but it’s just not possible, due as well as the region’s produce,” said Sear. “It’s a challenging role,to the nature of the variety, the region and my stubbornness to but the foundations have been well laid.”only release a zin that I’m completely happy with,” he says. The2009 Lowe Zinfandel retails for $75 and is available at selected SMITH’S BACKrestaurants and via the new Lowe website, www.lowewine.com.au. FANS OF talented chef JasonEUROPEAN STUDY TOUR Smith, formerly of Strathlynn at the Ninth Island cellar door,WINEMAKER Stefano Lubiana undertook a three-week study trip to will be pleased to know he isEurope, visiting France and Austria, to check grape varieties that back in the business as headmight work well in Tasmania, including a stint at vintage. chef of the Cove Bar and Restaurant at Peppers York Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer own and operate 18ha of vineyards Cove, Tamar Valley.around Gols, outside Vienna, specialising in red wines. “It was reallyinteresting finding out all that I could about the red wines of Weingut Smith did an excellent jobPittnauer and the surrounding region,” Lubiana says. “Like Gerhard after taking over from Danieland Brigitte, I’m very keen on the idea of producing interesting, food- Alps at Strathlynn – and thatfriendly reds from varieties other than pinot noir. Having successfully restaurant’s closure came asgrown merlot for much of the past decade, I’d really like to see what a major blow to local wineelse we could use to form the basis of a new, single vineyard red wine. tourism. Smith has said he will continue to promote fresh, seasonal Tasmanian produce “Weingut Pittnauer makes excellent wines from the Austrian and to lift Cove’s profile on the Tamar Valley Wine Route. Cove isvarieties of blaufrankisch and zweigelt, and I was really interested open for lunch Tuesday-Sunday and for dinner Monday-Saturday.in seeing how they’re being grown in the vineyard as well as how www.peppers.com.au/yorkcove.they were handled in the winery.”14 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

briefsYOUNG GUN INDUSTRY RECOGNISESTAKES AIM QUICK’S CONTRIBUTIONMIKE Aylward, of Ocean WA’s Great Southern pioneer, Betty Quick, is the 2011 winner ofEight winery on Victoria’s the prestigious WA Wine Press Club’s Jack Mann Memorial MedalMornington Peninsula, was for her enormous industry contribution.named the 2011 Young Gunof Wine at the Young Guns of In 1965, “Lady Betty” as many have dubbed her, and thenWine Festival in Melbourne, husband Tony Pearse, leased 2ha of their apple-growing propertyan event aimed at lifting near Mt Barker for an experimental vineyard to meet a statethe profile of the country’s government move to encourage diversification from decliningemerging winemaking talents. orchards in the region. Her enthusiasm for the new challenge was immediately apparent, encouraging all and sundry to take The creator of outstanding pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris, up the challenge once her small vineyard began to flourish. SheAylward joined Matt Gant, Pete Schell, Colin McBryde and Rollo lead the way to numerous industry initiatives, including being upCrittenden, the previous winners of the award. Aylward’s family front in the establishment of the Mt Barker wine show, now theestablished the Kooyong vineyard and he has spent considerable largest outside of Perth.time studying winemaking techniques in Burgundy. The four-timefinalist was judged on two of his wines; the 2009 Ocean Eight Verve Such was her passion that, among the young vines, she bannedChardonnay and 2009 Ocean Eight Pinot Noir. her children from crying because she wanted to keep them happy. She also played music to the cuttings, inspired by a report that this Rory Lane, of The Story Wines, won the people’s choice award, would encourage better fruit. As well, she walked among the vinessaying: “It’s very humbling and gratifying to see people parting with addressing them as “you little darlings”, urging them to producetheir hard earned for our wines, and for small, independent producers something great. That happened quickly. Just three years afterin general.” Lane makes a range of shiraz from the Grampians region. the first fruit was picked, the 1975 riesling won a stunning 12 gold medals and nine trophies for Forest Hill, the property label. “The face of Australian wine has changed dramatically in the pastfew years and we are heading into very exciting territory,” said chief Disappointingly, the first plantings of 1ha of riesling and one ofjudge Nick Stock. “In the past five years this award has championed cabernet failed. The replanting succeeded, launching the Greatand encouraged the most exciting collection of winemaking talent Southern industry and a new era for WA winemaking – two yearsin this country.” The 11 finalists hailed from Victoria, South Australia, ahead of Margaret River. Betty Quick is the 23rd winner of theTasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Jack Mann medal.STEPPING OUT SHARPER FOCUSIN TASSIE ON MARKETINGFORMER pastry chef Mary AARON Brasher, formerlyMcNeil has launched with Petaluma and Fine WineGourmania, a tour company Partners, has been named theaimed at introducing regional director for AustraliaHobart’s food and wine and emerging markets by Winesecrets to a wider audience. Australia. The role has been created by Wine Australia to Gourmania’s guided walking develop and implement marketand tasting tours give small programs for Australia and newgroups the chance to visit markets. Brasher’s role will focus on addressing the loss of marketlocal cafes, providores and share by Australian wine in the domestic market to imported wine andrestaurants – and enjoy some other beverages. “Aaron is extremely well respected within the wineof the state capital’s best sector and he has exceptional experience in marketing and businessfood and wine experiences. development,” said Wine Australia CEO Andrew Cheesman.Many of the businesses areoff the tourist trail and each Brasher was most recently the business manager of fine wine andtour features around 10 tasting education for Fine Wine Partners, Lion Nathan Wine’s distributionopportunities; from flaky business and has also worked for Penfolds and O’Leary Walker.pastries to fine pinots. Yourguide has studied at the French “My first priority is to understand what Wine Australia is doing wellCulinary Institute in New York and until recently worked at Smolt. in terms of domestic marketing and to identify areas for improvement to encourage Australians to embrace Australian wine,” Brasher said. Gourmania Tours run on Thursdays and Fridays between9.30am-1.30pm and on other days by arrangement. Bookings at “Stakeholders across the sector – from vineyard to the shop [email protected] or on 0419 180 113. restaurant floors – will be engaged to ensure everyone is taken on the journey and have a voice in the domestic marketing plans.” Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 15

europeanreport WORDS SALLY EASTON MWMUSCADET TAKES ON A NEW LOOKFRANCE’S Muscadet wines are made at the Ironically, these wines cannot use the moniker and it was thanks to the Cistercian monksclimatically mild, Atlantic ocean end of the sur lie on the label, despite their lengthy sur who brought the variety to Baden in the 13thriver Loire, and have long been considered lie maturation. This is because sur lie is a term century from Clairvaux in Burgundy.an apogee of local food and wine matching reserved for Muscadet wines on their lees upperfection. Light, slightly tangy wines, with a to November 30th following the harvest, and Half the country’s plantings of pinot noirfaint prickle on the tongue of carbon dioxide which are still on the lees at the time of bottling, remain in this south-west corner of theand creamy texture if the wines have been which must be before November 30. country, in Baden, and it is the warm - bymatured sur lie, or on their lees for six to 12 cool, north European standards – volcanic,months. Paired with a plat of the local fruits Another four potential crus have already Kaiserstuhl mountain where the varietyde mers, the combination of seafood and been identified - Mouzillon-Tillières, performs best in the region. The area sitscrisp light wine comes alive in its bright Chateau Thébaud, Monnières Saint-Fiacre a little north-east across the Rhine fromsimplicity and clean, briny flavours. and Goulaine. It is thought their official the Belfort Gap, or Burgundy Gate, a lower recognition could follow any time soon. lying plateau between the southernmost But the somewhat neutral melon de end of the Vosges mountains and northernBourgogne (whose origins are indeed In terms of flavour profile, the wines are end of the Jura mountains. Even though thein Burgundy) grape variety that solely little like the light, tangy and sometimes Mediterranean itself is distant, warm air iscomprises Muscadet wines has found a new slightly prickly mainstream wines. drawn up through the gap from the south.niche with a rather more serious expression. The crus can be creamy, and leesy in quite aA project that started in the 1990s has come Burgundian manner, with much more depth, Following on from what does well in Burgundy,to fruition in 2011 with the announcement of richness and volume of rich, textured, almost pinot noir likes limestone. Kaiserstuhl, whilea new cru, or level, of Muscadet appellation. savoury flavours, and with a tang that is still volcanic in origin, is almost unique in the evocative of the original Muscadet. world for having limestone melded into the Three communal crus or crus communaux lava. Arne Bercher, of Weingut Bercher,have recently been approved by the RIESLING UNDER PRESSURE whose family have been making wine in theappellation governing body. They are small Kaiserstuhl for over 300 years, explained:districts of land all coming from within the STICKING with some Burgundian origins, “pinot noir does nicely in Kaiserstuhl becauseMuscadet de Sèvre et Maine appellation, over in Germany, riesling is beginning to of the minerally volcanic soils. It is somethingwhich covers over 8000ha of vineyards. get a run for its money from spätburgunder, that sets this region apart from Baden andThe crus so far cover just 100ha of this, better known as pinot noir in international the rest of Germany. The wines have higherand only a few dozen producers are so circles, which has been slowly and steadily ageing potential and take longer to develop.”far involved with making this new style increasing its vineyard acreage in recentof Muscadet, which is being hailed as years. While riesling is Germany’s most With 11,800ha, Germany’s plantings ofexpressing localised parcels of terroir. planted grape variety, with more than pinot noir are the third largest in the world, 22,000ha some 20 per cent of the country’s after France and the United States, which, The three crus that have been approved vineyard area, spätburgunder is the third after the 2004 Sideways film, experiencedare Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet, named most planted grape variety, behind also something of a pinot noir planting boom,after their location, and each with different rivaner (Müller Thurgau). But plantings of and now has 15,000ha.geology and aspect. Clisson is on gravel rivaner declined by a third in the decadeand pebbles over granite; Gorges is on to 2010, while spätburgunder increased by The growing popularity of pinot noir is notgabbro (similar to basalt, but with coarse- more than 20 per cent in the same period. On restricted to Germany, and has becomegrained crystals), clay and quartz, while Le this record it will be only a year or two before something of a global phenomenon.Pallet is on gneiss and gabbro. spätburgunder takes over the number two Germany’s pinots are beginning to find slot. The variety currently occupies 11 per a voice on the international stage, much As is the nature of appellation hierarchy cent of Germany’s total vineyard area. like Australia’s, and with similar timings.in France, these crus have more rigorous Australia’s plantings of this variety nowproduction rules than the Muscadet Sèvre The lion’s share of spätburgunder is in stand at 5000ha, up 20 per cent from fiveet Maine from which they emerge. Yields just three regions - Rheinhessen, Pfalz and years ago. Here, international demand ismust be nearly 20 per cent lower than for Baden. Baden is a 50km eastward hop across increasing as the variety is increasinglySèvre et Maine; the grapes must be riper, this section of south-north flowing river Rhine better matched with more appropriate,and cannot come from vines that are from Alsace, while Pfalz and Rheinhessen increasingly cool, sites. Likewise Newyounger than six years old. are effectively a northward extension of the Zealand has around 5000ha, so is vying Alsace vineyards on the left bank of the with Australia for the number four slot of Additionally they must be matured for 18 to Rhine. So the variety hasn’t migrated too far, global plantings of this trendy variety.36 months, depending on the specific cru.16 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

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winetutor WORDS CLIVE HARTLEY A MATTER OF TASTETHE PROCESS of tasting wine is the subject can also be perceived from wines that have Alcohol in good quality wine should beof the last article in this series on sensory higher alcohol and glycerol. Wines vary from a silent contributor to the overall texture orevaluation. Some novice students declare dry, to medium dry, to sweet and finally mouthfeel of a wine. In poor wines it will beall wine tastes the same. If that was the luscious. In Australia dry wines are the norm, detected as a hotness or burning sensation.case then wine would only be a tool for however, we are seeing a few more off-dry Don’t rely on the label, as in Australia weintoxication, a liquid to wet one’s whistle rieslings on the market. The sweetness have a 1.5 per cent variance on the labeland it would all cost the same as tap water. cuts the acidity of the wine and helps to statement and on EU wine it is 0.05 per cent.Analysing a wine on the palate is probably broaden and lengthen the palate, and isthe hardest stage in sensory evaluation as often accompanied by low alcohol levels. The body or weight of a wine is derivedthere are numerous aspects to contemplate. from a combination of the fruit structure, Acid is a natural component in wine and sugar, alcohol, acidity and tannin. This For a start there are five primary taste imparts a refreshing mouth feel. There are tactile stimulus is judged by how heavy thesensations that can be detected on the a number of acids present in wine, the most liquid feels in the mouth.palate: sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami. important are tartaric and malic acid. WithoutThe last two are only occasionally found in acid a wine would seem flat and dull to drink. Flavour is defined as the total sensation ofwine. Umami is a Japanese word indicating Words like crisp, lively, or zesty can be used smell, taste and touch as perceived in thea savoury or meat-broth/protein taste to describe high acidity. Acidity causes saliva mouth. It can be similar to the aromas or quitederived from the amino-acid in wine. to develop and makes a wine seem juicy. different. The level of intensity is how strong Think about how much saliva is dripping off and persistent the flavour remains with you on Taste occurs all over the mouth and not just the edges of your tongue. Acidity is harder to the palate. Good quality wines need a mediumon the tongue, as was once believed. A single detect in red wines but remains an important to pronounced flavour intensity that stays withtaste bud contains 50–100 taste cells and constituent as it contributes to the overall you even after the wine has been consumed.these possess receptors for all five tastes. balance of the wine and can offset the drying Playing the devil’s advocate, wines thatWhen we say we like the taste of raspberries sensation caused by high tannins. display just fruit flavours are simpler winesit is only the sweetness, and perhaps a little while the more intriguing and quality driven,sourness that we can actually taste – the rest Tannins are derived from the grape skins, but harder to appreciate, wines display moreis smell. However, taste is still an important seeds and stalks or from the oak barrel intriguing developed flavours such as animal, earthy and vegetal. You could also argue thatTexture is a lovely word that is a combination of all this is a new world-V-old world view of wines.components and a wine should hold your attentionlong after the glass has been drained. Length is how a wine travels along your palate and how long it lingers in your mouthassessment. Scientists have worked out that in which a wine is matured in. Tannin after it has been consumed. I have yet towhen taste and smell are brought together, produces a drying, astringent, mouth find a good quality wine that has a shortthe orbitofrontal cortex of the brain works out puckering effect on the palate, leaving your length. Wines with short length end abruptlythe sensation of flavour. This information is tongue feeling rough. Fascinatingly, this on the palate and don’t seem to get to theconveyed to the mouth and we decide if we is due to the union of tannins and saliva back of your throat. While wines with alike the flavour or not. Flavours, like aroma, in the mouth, so its impression will vary long length seem to fill your mouth and thecome in all shapes and sizes. depending on how much saliva a person flavours live on after you have swallowed it, produces. Tannins can be described in a which is described as a wine’s finish. Good Working through the primary taste number of ways, including green, ripe, fine, quality wine should linger on the palate fromsensations is our first job in assessing talc-like, velvet, dusty or grainy. A wine with 30 seconds to over a minute.the wine on the palate. With each of the coarse tannins are immediately obviousfollowing, a professional taster would when you taste a wine, while fine tannins After you have considered the differentdetermine the level of concentration - low, creep up on you the longer you taste a components of a wine you need to assessmedium or high. The main sugars in wine wine. Many people get put off reds because how they integrate together. Good qualityare glucose and fructose. Many wines lack of tannins, so in some mass-produced wines should be well balanced and insweetness and are practically bone dry. wines they have been vinified out, using harmony with nothing unduly dominating.Others have a natural grape fruitiness that techniques such as micro-oxygenation. There should be a complexity and intensitymay come across as sweetness. Sweetness of flavours. Texture is a lovely word that is a combination of all components and a wine should hold your attention long after the glass has been drained.18 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011



winetravel WORDS ELISABETH KINGCROATIA, THE MED AS IT USED TO BEIN THIS era of rabid over-promotion, it’s Croatian seaside resort of Rovinj. And Stradun, cuts the town neatly in two.refreshing to see a country that’s been former James Bond, Roger Moore, visits At one end the 18th century Church ofproducing wines since Julius Caesar was Dubrovnik every year to the delight of St Blaise, Sveti Vlaho in Croatian, mayalive finally tossing its hat into the global passengers from the many cruise ships be dedicated to Dubrovnik’s patronsales ring. This northern hemisphere that pull into the historic World Heritage- saint, but his bones are ensconced insummer, over 30 Croatian winemakers listed town. the baroque cathedral. One of the mostheaded to New York for the first-ever endearing things about Dubrovnik isportfolio tasting of their country’s wines Like many eastern European towns that many of the buskers are elderlyin the Big Apple. There’s a reason, of where the beer is cheap, Dubrovnik went men in traditional costume singingcourse. Until recently only five percent through a baptism of fire as a favoured klapa, the haunting folk songs ofof Croatian wine was exported, but as destination for British stag parties. Croatia, not scruffy blow-ins mumblingforeign tourists have turned to cheaper Thankfully, the moment has passed. English pop ballads.bottlings many winemakers were left with The biggest danger now is being pinnedexpensive wines and new markets had against a wall walking along the town’s The Hilton Imperial, originally built into be found - quickly. ramparts, as hordes of daytrippers and 1895, has been restored to its former cruise passengers push forward for a grandeur as a luxury bolthole, and also The best place to taste, and more photo-op. At truly busy times, just opt out offers stunning views of Dubrovnik’simportantly learn how to pronounce the of the crush by sipping a cool beer. Most Venetian Bay location. And it’s just asnames of Croatia’s varietals, is on home barmen in Dubrovnik just plonk down an famous for the cooking of Maltese-turf, of course. “Croatian wines have Ozujsko, the flaghsip brand of Croatia’s born chef, Christopher Gauci, in thebeen produced for over 2000 years,” said largest brewer, Zagrebacka pivovara. hotel’s Porat restaurant. He trained withZeljko, the waiter in an historic bar close to Raymond Blanc at Manoir Aux Quatthe main street of Dubrovnik. To be honest, Historians and archaeologists still Saisons in England and brings a deft dispute the origins of Dubrovnik. SomeWith Greece in a downward spiral, Croatia has become the go-to destination forcelebs and regular people who want a stress-free holiday in the Mediterranean.I can’t remember how to pronounce the say it was founded in the 7th century by touch to a Mediterranean modern menuname of the rich, red Svirce Plavac Mali Dalmatian refugees fleeing from Slavic that includes delicacies like fork-tenderhe served, but I do remember it was invaders. Others claim that the town Pag island lamb. Here we enjoyed one ofvery good. Later that night, we googled has Greek roots, dating back to an 8th the most expensive bottlings of Plantaze,Croatian wine on the hotel computer and century Byzantine basilica. But its glory the biggest wine company in the countrydiscovered that we had a long way to go days as the maritime republic of Ragusa which sold 16.9 million bottles last year.to taste even a fraction of the 200 wine are firmly Italian, when Dubrovnik rivalledvarietals from the country’s 17,000 wine Venice as a trading power. Lonely Planet calls Istria, a 30 minuteproducers. Most are home fermenters, drive from the Italian border in the northof course, with maybe 2500 winemakers Many of Dubrovnik’s finest palaces of Croatia, a “toned down Tuscany”.rating the professional tag. and merchants houses were built in the There are lots of narrow roads, lushly 15th and 16th centuries. And the most green landscapes and mediaeval hill With Greece in a downward spiral, atmospheric way to feel the full impact towns like Motovun, overlooking theCroatia has become the go-to destination of their magnificence is from the town’s Mirna River valley, to be sure, but thefor celebs and regular people who want a encircling walls, in some parts over a Slavic names on the road signs leavestress-free holiday in the Mediterranean. metre thick. Constructed from limestone you in no doubt where you are. Rovinj,Jay-Z and Beyonce have moored their form the island of Korcula to the north, too, with its historic alleys and piazzasyacht off the Adriatic coast for the past there are 14 towers, six bastions and looks a lot like Venice, which attractstwo years. Russian oligarch, Roman four corner fortresses if you’re counting. Italian holidaymakers who are lookingAbramovich, is frequently seen in the for a home-away-from-home. English is Dubrovnik’s main thoroughfare,20 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

State-of-the-Art Wine Cellars HAND-BUILT IN FRANCE • HIGHEST OF STANDARDSwidely spoken, though, and our guide in • Perfect cellaring temperaturePula was fluent enough to make pretty • Regulated humiditygood puns as we weaved through the • UV-treated glasstown’s Roman ruins, including theTemple of Augustus, the Hercules Gate wwDiwsc.otvrearntshtehfeurllmra.ncgoema.ta: uand a first century amphitheatre. Oneof the real discoveries of Istria, though, PRECISE TEMPERATURE EASILY ACCESSIBLEis that truffles are so plentiful thateven inexpensive restaurants sprinkle Available nationally throughshavings of the expensive fungus over all major electrical appliance retailersomelettes and game dishes. There are over 1000 islands dottingthe Croatian coastline, many little morethan crags sticking out of the sea. Hvar isthe largest and recently gained a WorldHeritage-listing for its Stari Grad Plain,one of the best preserved ancient Greeklandscapes in Europe. Greek pioneersstaked out land here 2500 years ago andthe same methods of cultivating grapesand olives are still in use. The result?The scene looks much as it did whenSocrates was still alive. Split is every schoolchild and sub-editor’s favourite Croatian town forobvious reasons. There’s a lot more thancliched word play to be enjoyed, though,if you bed down in a boutique hotel orB&B surrounded by the 1500-year-oldwalls of the Roman Emperor Diocletian’sformer summer palace, another ofCroatia’s World Heritage-listed sites.Split is Croatia’s second largest city,so there’s plenty to do besides stakingout a spot on the beach or visiting oneof the finest archaeological museums inEurope. And one of the city’s main ritualsis to stroll along the town’s Riva, wherethe nightly Italian tradition of passegiattarules. Holidaymakers and locals gatherhere on most warm nights to toast oneof the most beautiful sunsets in Europewith a glass of two of local wine. As wedid with a bottle of Krauthaker GraevinaMitrovac, a peachy white that goesvery well with the barbequed meats theCroatians adore. Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 21

winehistory WORDS VALMAI HANKEL ANDRE L. SIMON, PART FIVE:THE MAGAZINE WINE AND FOOD, AND A VISIT TO THE USLAST time we looked at some of the early Despite the society’s success – there visit there the same year. Sponsored bycontents of the column, “Memorable were over 1000 members by the end the French government, Simon travelledmeals”, in the quarterly magazine, Wine of 1933 – the magazine had some frequently to the US. His task, especiallyand Food, begun by André L Simon in financial difficulties. Simon tried to get on his first visit, was to interest the1933. In the same year, the charming and a publisher to relieve him of the worry locals in forming chapters of the Winewittily-titled Tables of content. Leaves of getting it distributed and publicised. and Food Society. The first of these wasfrom my diary, was published: it’s a happy In November, 1933, he arranged to founded in Boston in December, 1934,and evocative account of some of the serve a “memorable meatless meal” to and the second in San Francisco inmemorable meals Simon enjoyed before a member of parliament who owned a January, 1935. Simon wrote forcefullythe magazine began. well-known and prosperous medical of his “first American impressions” in journal, as well as the journal’s editor, Wine and Food, in the spring of 1935. It is fascinating to browse through back in the hope of getting their financial They were anything but favourable.issues of Wine and Food under Simon’s support. Simon had gone to a great “Food is a very important matter and soeditorship. But, apart from the State deal of trouble with the meal, as he is drink. Too few Americans realise it atLibrary of South Australia and possibly invariably did. It consisted of a dozen present…Wine is too dear to drink whenSydney University, there are few copies oysters, served with a 1929 Dopff thirsty, and too weak to get drunk on;in Australian libraries. I am fortunate to riesling, followed by a “moist omelette and who has time to drink wine, anyway?have bought a set many years ago, and with a plentiful filling of the white meat Nobody. It is all wrong. They shouldhave had great fun browsing through its only of freshly boiled crabs, topped with drink wine, even if it be poor wine andcontents, especially in the early years. At a light sauce mornay” and browned just not appealing to their taste.”first Simon had a regular stable of mainly before serving. The main course was “amen and one woman, who went under Prohibition was to blame, he reasoned.Simon wrote forcefully of his “first American impressions” in Wine and Food in thespring of 1935. They were anything but favourable.the wonderful name of the Dowager Lady great dish of scarlet, fat little crayfish”. “The men and women in their early 30sSwaythling. The magazine in its early This, and the omelette, were served today have grown up in the foul air ofyears did so well that Simon decided with a 1919 Musigny Blanc (a white deceit, gangsters and bath-tub gin.to write and publish two small paper- burgundy). Then came a cartwheel of The hip-flask was the god of their youth.covered books. The first, in 1934, was brie, “just starting to be runny and not How can they be expected to turn to theThe wine connoisseur’s catechism, a too assertive of taste – it made a perfect shrine where Bacchus holds his court?series of dialogues setting out in question match for the 1923 Chateau Latour which Wine to them is nauseating; they want aand answer form basic facts about port, we drank with it,” wrote Simon in one high-ball or something with a kick in it.”madeira, sherry, burgundy, champagne, of his autobiographies, In the twilight.claret, hock and moselle. The second, To finish, there was coffee and a half But, fortunately, there were somein 1935, was Wines and liqueurs from bottle of 1830 Denis Mounie, a cognac. enlightened people who would leadA to Z, which Simon described as “a But unfortunately for Simon nothing “the revolution that is so badly neededreliable alphabetical guide to the wines came of it except “vague promises and in the United States, needed so thatand liqueurs that the amateur is likely to wasted time.” In 1935 Simon gained the the many millions of unfortunate peopleencounter, giving in a few words all the support he was looking for when the rural who at present live on their nerves andinformation that really matters about each magazine, The Field, became Wine and pills, can take due advantage of theone of them”. At two shillings, it cost twice Food’s publisher. admirable supplies of foodstuffs andas much as its predecessor and it was a wines which they have ignored or sobest seller until the late 1960s. Meanwhile, the end of Prohibition in the badly used in the past.” United States in 1933 led to Simon’s first It was Simon writing at his punchiest.22 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

Find us: Food&HotelAsia / Wine&SpiritsAsia Admission is open to relevant trade professionals only. All Visitors who do not pre-register or do not hold complimentary tickets will have to pay an admission fee of SGD80.

STRANGEBIRDS IN MYBACK YARD DAVID STEVENS-CASTRO QUEENSLAND is suffering from an identity crisis. Forever typecast as an expanse of sun-drenched beaches, it has proven challenging for wineries from this region to be taken seriously. Tainted by the misconception that the area can only produce pineapples and bananas, it has taken time and commitment to establish otherwise. The reality is that Queensland is a vast area. On the border with New South Wales there is a high altitude region that isn't just capable of growing grapevines - they absolutely thrive there. Known as the Granite Belt, this region is serviced by the main town of Stanthorpe. With altitudes reaching24 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

Above: Sunset over Summit Estate. Left: Summit barrel room. barbera, chenin blanc, colombard, durif, gewurztraminer, malbec, marsanne,Thermal conditions make the mourvedre, nebbiolo, petit verdot, pinotgranite belt climate comparable gris, sylvaner, tannat, tempranillo andto adelaide hills or clare valley. viognier - as well as some more standard varieties. A distinctive concentration ofan average of 900m, the temperatures potential are an arid climate and unique flavours, freshness and slightly lowerare in the region of 9C less than found granitic soils, with high rock content. The alcohol is known within the wine world asat sea level. In wine production this is wines in this area remind me of wines the “continental influence” - characteristicsof vital importance because the cooler produced in northern and central Spain in that you can easily identify when you aretemperatures initiate plant development regions such as Ribera del Duero and Rioja. trying the wines from the Granite Belt. Thecycles throughout the year. They are all wines with character and can region is surprisingly accessible - just three sometimes be considered a bit alternative. hours south-west of Brisbane and a little These thermal conditions make the Granite longer from the Gold Coast, or less thanBelt climate comparable to Adelaide Hills The growers in this area have been four hours across the picturesque Greator Clare Valley - both cool climate zones. experimenting with over a dozen seemingly Dividing Range from Byron Bay. On offer isCompleting the recipe for world-class wine obscure wine grape varieties, including the ultimate wine-tasting weekend getaway with a flavour of outback Australia, within hours of the coast. It's another world, with incredible granite formations, paperbark trees punctuating the scenery, endless fields of fresh produce, and stunning views. Mark Ravenscroft, owner and winemaker from Ravens Croft Wines, is originally from South Africa. As well as overseas experience and consulting to other wineries in the Granite Belt, he has had stints at Tyrrells, Capel Vale and Ballandean. He bought his own property in 2004, which has allowed him to fully express his personal style. Mark produces fresh wines, easy to drink for a few years, light but with good mouth-fill. He attempts to find a fine balance between oak barrel, soft malolactic fermentation and medium fruit intensity. He excels in producing “complex” chardonnay. Mark is excited by the results he is having with the pinotage variety. The Granite Belt climate suits it particularly well because it matures earlier and it's more resistant to botrytis than other varieties. This is an important consideration as there can be considerable rain at the end of the season. He also recognises potential in other grape varieties such as petit verdot. The '09 is terrific. Overall the reds are elegant with fine granulated tannins and a long finish. Recently awarded Best Queensland Wine for his chardonnay at the Royal Queensland Wine Show, this winery is definitely one to watch. Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 25

The biggest cellar door in the Granite only Granite Belt wine producer with public than just a winery - it's a well-oiled machineBelt is Summit Estate, a winery specialising access at a different location is Sirromet. offering the ultimate day trip experience.in Mediterranean blends. Argentinean A clever business strategy has overcome A combination of the classy Lurleenswinemaker Paola Cabezas has been heading the issue of convincing the masses to visit Restaurant, extensive landscaped groundsthe team for almost 10 years. With experience the Granite Belt by locating the cellar door (which on occasion host thousands forin Spain and France, and continuous off- within minutes of Brisbane City, at Mount outdoor concerts), beautiful natural bushseason travels to Mediterranean lands, Cotton. This substantial operation is more surroundings, a busy cellar door with a cafe,you can definitely notice the international plus family friendly areas to allow the adultsinfluence. Of particular note is the tempranillo. to relax while the children run free - createsThis is the only variety not under stelvin a very attractive drawcard for a city escape.[screw cap] because cork closure is the best Head winemaker Adam Chapman attributesway to counteract potential reductive notes credit to the whole winemaking team andthat this grape can experience. considers that every winemaker adds value to the end product. In general, the wines Home of the Costanzo family is the are clean, fresh and varietal but with a littleGolden Grove Winery. Their Italian heritage twist, always showing consistency and valueis reflected in sumptuous, rich wines. for money. The viognier and chardonnayGolden Grove is probably the winery are the standout varieties in the largethat offers the best consistency of quality range. They are even experimenting with aacross whites, reds and fortifieds. It is also sparkling red made of petit verdot - a verythe most awarded winery of the Granite innovative concept.Belt and to this day it is still managedby the family. The sauvignon-semillon, The Granite Belt Tourism authority hastempranillo, durif and the Mediterranean created a great initiative called “Strangeblend are the most noteworthy. Bird”, which is essentially a user-friendly guide book that can be downloaded from Another significant winery is Robert their website. It details the region’s wine trailChannon Wines. Their flagship wine is the and encourages wine lovers to discoververdelho variety. They also offer a very tasty an alternative wine variety, or “Strangechardonnay, which is good at every price Bird” to “adopt” and taken home. It alsobracket of their portfolio. The pinot gris is offers a comprehensive overview of eachdelicious, too. There is some consistency of the 16 unusual varieties and suggestionsin all the whites. Reds aren't the only for pairing. The Granite Belt is a treasuremotivation at the Granite Belt. trove of passionate winemakers from all over the world, confidently experimenting Robert Channon has all their vineyards with exciting varieties in an exceptionalunder netting. Bird damage was causing a environment that has huge potential. It isloss of up to 30 per cent of production. When unlikely to remain a secret for much longer,being asked if he had discovered any issues so now is probably the best time to find youras a result of production under the net, he favourite strange bird.laughed, “You can’t believe how often I haveto answer that question. It actually delivers QUEENSLAND TASTING STARTS PAGE 128.a healthier crop and we are quite pleasedwith the fruit it produces now,\" he said. TheAbove: Sirromet cellar door & restaurant.26 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

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DENIS AND YOSHIJI’S WINE ADVENTURE: PART 3Home‘ Port’ THE STORY SO FAR -to endthe Journey Yoshiji Sato, wine editor for Japan’s Shuhan News, travelled with the journal’s Australian DENIS GASTIN AND YOSHIJI SATO correspondent, Denis Gastin, through Australia’s premier wine growing regions 28 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011 from Mudgee, to Orange, the Riverina and the Goulburn Valley, and on to the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. The final phase was to be in South Australia. But first, Denis wanted to show Yoshiji the Macedon/Kyneton region - where he spent lots of time on family farms. So the adventure resumed at Lancefield’s Curly Flat winery, joining Jancis Robinson for a tasting of their impressive chardonnays and pinots before pushing on through the Cobaw Forest to one of the region’s most remote wineries. WHAT STOOD OUT FOR YOSHIJI At Cobaw Ridge Winery, with just 5ha of vines isolated in what is virtually a wild natural park, at an altitude of 610m, seeing the big grey/white granite rocks strewn around the landscape and then finding this granite character in all their wines was impressive. Even though some scientists deny any connection between what

Clockwise from left: Cobaw Ridge, wild forest, abandoned station, Coonawarra, Seppeltsfield Para Tawny, Seppeltsfield Winery, Nathan Waks, Part-owner of Seppeltsfield,Dunkeld paddocks, Terrarosa, team at the Coonawarra Regional Association, tunnel to Coonawarra, Denis Gaston behind the wheel, David Lehmann, David Franz Wines.we call minerality in the taste of wine and soil to retain that family feeling for the long term. First call was Wynns, where headtype, Cobaw Ridge contradicts that: you feel After Macedon we were going straight winemaker, Sue Hodder, has done 18it is coming from the rocks and soils directly. vintages, always working to achieve balanceAlan and Nellie Cooper planted grapes there west to Coonawarra. Our itinerary showed and elegance in her wines, avoiding thein 1983. It puzzles me why they chose such we would stay in Dunkeld. I had never heard high alcohol, muscular style that becamean isolated, middle of nowhere mountain this name in a wine context so I thought we so popular in the Robert Parker era.site. They were not professional geologists or must have had to stay there just to break theviticulturalists: but, as the wines now prove, trip and so I expected a basic Aussie country Sue says she loves to live in Coonawarrait was the right choice. Their shiraz shows motel. But the Royal Mail Hotel is nothing because she likes its quietness.distinctive violet notes and a strong, granitic, like that. We were knocked out by its huge This topic of conversation continued atspicy minerality. Pinot noir has the aroma of wine list (71 pages) and so surprised to see dinner with six local wine identities arrangeddark cherry commonly found in this variety, so many old vintage classic wines at very by the Coonawarra Regional Association.but it also has this same granitic mineral affordable prices. With the help of sommelier, I remember Michelle Stevens, of Katnookexpression. They also produce a lagrein: it Jeremy Shiell, we started with a 1990 Best Estate, saying that most people living inshows the white flower aroma of this variety Western Brut de Brut because it is so unusual Coonawarra will finish their life there. Othersbut it, too, has this granitic expression. And to find a pinot meunier dominant methode nodded. They love this isolated, calmso does their chardonnay. traditionelle sparkling wine. Then we had atmosphere and now I understand why. 1992 Crawford River Riesling, 1999 Mount New vistas were opened up for me by Mary Chardonnay and 2004 Best’s Great It’s the Terra Rossa zone which hasJohn Ellis of Hanging Rock Winery. He was Western Pinot Meunier from 140-year-old defined Coonawarra traditionally, runninga pioneer of sparkling wine in Australia in vines. I knew the Crawford River and Mount 16km from north to south and 2km wide.the early ‘80s, when it was rare, and he also Mary would be great, and they were, but the But the official GI rating in 2002 designatedexposed the potential of Heathcote shiraz. Great Western wines were a real eye-opener. a much bigger area than this, creatingLooking back over his winemaking footprint controversy locally. As we talked, longerit’s clear that he sought and really enjoyed Next morning, driving through what established producers insisted that it isthe freedom to do his own thing. But he is seemed like a tunnel of gum trees and the red clay overlay in the traditional zonekeeping his winery family-sized and wants heading west, we reached Coonawarra, a that defines the region; that black or brown calm, isolated island of vineyards. clay overlays produce different wines. Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 29

EXPLOIT THIS A viticulturist agreed, on scientific grounds, At David Franz winery we saw the cheekyUNIQUENESS but I was surprised when he then told new face of the Barossa. Winemaker,TO BECOME me that the limestone underlay doesn’t Dave Lehmann, revels (loudly) in his uniqueAN EVEN make an impact on the style of the wine. winemaking and extravagant packagingBIGGER BIG Others disagreed, insisting that the silky fixations. He makes a rosé from 12 varietals,POWER IN texture of Coonawarra cabernet definitely both red and white; his Benjamin’s PromiseTHE WORLD comes from the limestone. For me, it is not Shiraz gets two years in the barrel andOF WINE. a big issue what’s correct, but the active two years bottle aging before release. The discussion was stimulating. labels on all bottles are not only his own colourful creations, including one with a The Adelaide Hills came next. After “manga” (comic), but are directly printed dodging kangaroos along the highway on each bottle by himself. He puts his we arrived at Petaluma in the rolling hills soul into each bottle. Later we met Dave’s and valleys. The elegance of the wines we parents, wine legend Peter Lehmann and tasted there echo this soft landscape and wife Margaret, and their longstanding head moderate climate. For the final chapter we winemaker Andrew Wigan. Their history went to the Barossa Valley via the Eden still fascinates and stimulates Japanese Valley and the legendary Henschke Winery. wine lovers. To meet Peter, Margaret and Steven Henschke gave us a grand tour of Andrew was living history for me. the winery, tasting Hill of Grace from the barrels, then a car ride around the iconic At the historical Jacobs Cottage, we met vineyards. But as we had been in Victoria another legend, Philip Laffer, the “father” he said we couldn’t walk in the vineyards of Jacobs Creek wine. He’d assembled because of the possibility of spreading a very serious vertical tasting, from 1982 phylloxera. His detailed care of everything to through to the current releases, which do with the vineyards and winery impressed proved to me he set out to make fine wine, me as much as his wonderful wines. not supermarket wine. For me, only two30 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

Clockwise from left: Henschke basket press, Stephen Henschke and his daughter Justine, Henshke Hill of Grace vineyards, John Ellis, Hanging Rock Wines,Wynns, Allen Jenkins & Sue Hodder, Coonawarra country side, Royal Mail Hotel and cellar, Steingarten vineyards, Barossa.labels priced under $US10 will confidently Peninsula, Margaret River and Coonawarra which we now know were not commerciallyage this well: Robert Mondavi Woodbridge are comparatively concentrated. But in many successful – and, for some, their wines(in the 1990s, though not recently) and regions locals think it is “normal” to take10km aren’t attractive any more, unfortunately.Jacobs Creek. After Jacobs Creek we to go to a neighboring winery. This is certainly The era of Australian volume wine mightclimbed up to the Steingarten vineyard to not the case in Europe, California, Colchagua be finished already. So I want to seelook back over the Barossa Valley. Then we or Marlborough - even Yamanashi, in Japan: Aussie producers knocking on newwent down to Seppeltsfield, a grand symbol continuous vineyards are common scenery. doors and opening new vistas. They’veof Australia’s wine heritage. We tasted In Australia, though, intermittent scenery is already got a lot of heritage and the nextthe1908 Tawny, and were lost for words. more common: vineyard – cows – nothing step would be to exploit this uniquenessIt’s a magic expression of fortified wine, its - wheat - gum trees – nothing - suddenly to become an even bigger power in theexotic oriental aromas inspiring colourful a vineyard – then sheep – then nothing. world of wine. It won’t be easy, but that’simagination in my head. We are so fortunate So I can understand that winemakers sharing what I’d really like to see.that Seppeltsfield was saved by volunteer a GI name might have totally different soilsinvestors. It will have a next life. With a head and micro-climates. DENIS’S POSTSCRIPTfull of new images of Australian wine weheaded for Adelaide and my flight home. Another thing is that smaller grape I am always proud showing my home base farmers might never entirely give up wheat, to visitors and all the more so when it isYOSHIJI’S CONCLUSIONS cows, sheep or orchards, making them someone I have worked with for a long more independent, not having to rely on time and have shared wine experiences“Isolation” and “distance” might be the key one product. So “isolation” and “distance” with in many other locations, like I havewords to understand Aussie wine. Compared probably also lead to “independence”: with Yoshiji. I was delighted (and somewhatwith other parts of the world the vast expanse that would be the heart of being Australian, relieved) that he was so impressed by whatof land means winemakers live and create wouldn’t it? And from those conditions you he saw here, what he tasted and what hefurther away from each other and so many can create very unique wines – and that’s heard. The devoted viticulturalists andseem to really enjoy this isolation and why I love Australia’s smaller producers. winemakers, their stories and their wines,invent their own way. There are exceptions, stand up in the international context – theyof course: Yarra Valley, Mornington We have seen a lot of consolidation entertain, and they satisfy. among big players recently, many of Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 31

CLIMATE ANDcontroversy MIKE ZEKULICHEMINENT WA SCIENTIST has been global warming but most is Nor is it just a matter of avoiding imagined from natural causes. “Man may have catastrophe. Carbon dioxide in the air isDr John Gladstones, winner of the contributed, but in a much smaller way essential for plant growth and, indeed, forprestigious WA Wine Press Club’s Jack than people conclude,” he said. “I am not all plant and animal life. “As a plant breederMann Memorial Medal and the Maurice concerned in the least that this might put of long experience, I suspect - but of courseO’Shea Award for his contribution to the me offside with other scientists.” cannot prove - that it is rising atmosphericwine industry, may be small in stature CO2 together with breeding and evolvingbut doesn’t mind a fight. And he certainly The new book is a virtual extension, with farm practices to make our crops betteris going to get one from some of his more in-depth research, of Dr Gladstones’ able to take advantage of it, that has so farcolleagues with findings in his new book, previous major work, Viticulture and enabled agriculture to successfully feed theWine, Terroir and Climate Change. Environment, published in 1992. However, world’s expanding population,” he said. Dr it concentrates more on the world scene Gladsones says it is unfortunate that the For in the chapter on Climate Change, which and general principles, but reaches a climate debate has been taken over bymakes up about a third of the 288 pages, similar conclusion. (The book won the the largely ill-informed interests of politics,he concludes from his exhaustive study of prestigious Special Distinction in Viticulture business and social pressure groups, andthe underlying science that: “The effects award by the Office International de la by those of the research and administrativeof climate change have been dramatically Vigne et du Vin in Paris - one of only two bodies whose existence depends on inflatingover-estimated. Future global climate change ever awarded to Australian publications). what is probably not a major problem.caused by human activity will be muchless than feared and be largely benign for “I know as a scientist you can never be “What we need now is a thorough scrutinyviticulture”. If that wasn’t good news for the 100 per cent sure of anything, but I feel and evaluation of the science itself andstruggling industry, how about this: “The 21st my findings are correct,” he said, backing what can be done to make it more realistic,”century will be wine’s golden age.” his case. “They are based on a detailed he said. “Certainly the existing evidence, study of the scientific literature and on the properly considered, gives no cause for The genesis of the book came in March, experience of over 50 years as a practical panic. I agree that for many good reasons we2006, when Dr Gladstones, 79, presented a plant breeder and agronomist, disciplines should seek as far as possible to conservepaper to a conference on terroir at the Davis that demand an intimate knowledge of the world’s supplies of fossil fuels and otherCampus of the University of California. climate and weather. This gives a different industrial feedstocks. But that is hardly and broader perspective compared with ground for rushing into rash measures that “I felt the whole question was disjointed studies based mainly on statistics and could soon prove counter productive.”with delegates concerned about aspects computer models, which are too often basedbut with little modern attempts to put it all on imperfect data and dubious assumptions.” Dr Gladstones who, in the book, predicts atogether,” he said. So Dr Gladstones took Dr Gladstones maintains that far from there golden age for wine this century says this willup the challenge. “History records marked being a consensus on global warming and result from a correction of new world over-natural climate fluctuations over decades its supposed causes, the research literature planting in the wrong places for a market thatand centuries,” he said. “The evidence that is full of contradictions and conflicting is disappearing - the basic cask and jug wines.some try to deny is completely convincing, interpretations together with some thoroughly “Consumers are looking for something better,’that in much of the Middle Ages, the world bad science. But he says the biggest crime of he said. “There is a much better basis now forwas warmer than it is today. So what has the recent research establishment has been identifying and focussing on superior terroir tohappened in the past can happen again, to reject or ignore older and wider research make much better wines overall at affordableand almost certainly will.” that is both good and relevant. prices. It means the same regions will produce Dr Gladstones says that in recentdecades such as the 1920s-1940s, there32 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

Wine, Terroir and Climate Change, Dr John Gladstones, Wakefield Press, Adelaide. $59.95 post free.premium wines along with good everydaydrinking styles because they have the rightterrior and climate. Within those regions thereis still a lot of scope for the best sites whichpeople may not have taken much notice of inthe past. The idea that vines could be plantedanywhere, with yields bumped up as muchas possible leaving wine improvement to thetechnology of the winery, can only go so far.Combining better terroir selection with modernwinemaking gives the best of both worlds.” An important conclusion of his book isthat past experience of terroir can continueto guide future viticulture. Dr Gladstonesbelieves that the old French writers of the19th and 20th centuries got it largely right,both in describing the best terroirs and intheir explanations as far as they went. Further,he said, the stability of the noted Europeanterroirs of the last two centuries or so, showsthat they are resilient to the minor climatefluctuations over that time or likely in the nearfuture. “Combed with improved climate dataand the extra insight of modern research, weare now in the position to identify in fair detailthe best terroirs for individual wine styles forat least some decades ahead. This will be ofgreat benefit to the Australian wine industryif it chooses to adapt,’ Dr Gladstones said. The book is based on writing in as nontechnical a way as possible, taking thedryness out of something that otherwisecould be as dry as a bad drought.

OAK PLAYS ITS PARTJANE SKILTON MWIN 1967 ROBERT MONDAVI To be consideredlaunched a new style of sauvignon blanc. a serious sauvignonWhere the majority of other Californiansauvignons were medium sweet and fairly blanc, the winenondescript, Mondavi's was a powerful,barrel fermented, dry wine that needed needs to haveto distinguish itself from other varietallylabelled, local wines on offer. While reading spent time in oak.about the sauvignons of the Loire Valley'sCentral Vineyards, Mondavi discovered that to have spent time in oak. Marlborough'sthe wines of Pouilly Fumé were also known Cloudy Bay Te Koko, Napa's Mondavi Teas Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, so decided to Kalon and Cape Point Vineyard's Isliedhcall his wine Fumé Blanc. Though there are from South Africa, are all examples where themany oaked Californian sauvignons labelled barrel fermented wine enjoy higher reputationFumé Blanc now available, Mondavi is still among consumers than the regular labels.regarded as the benchmark. A sauvignon blanc seminar, hosted The irony is that the word fumé or smoky by Patrick Materman, chief winemakerwasn't a reference to any oak characters for Pernod Ricard whose labels includefound in the wines of Pouilly Fumé but to Brancott Estate (formerly Montanathe gunflint aroma which is a distinguishing Wines), Stoneleigh and Church Road,feature of the best wines. This flintiness is was held in Blenheim last month. Itsoil derived and prompted poet Georges provided an opportunity for Materman toBlanchard to describe the wines as having give journalists a preview of the premium“…quite a bloody character, very different sauvignon blanc, codenamed Icon, thatfrom its neighbour” Sancerre and Pouilly he and his team have been workingFumé rarely show any noticeable new oak on for the last couple of years. Tastingcharacter with top quality estates such as through 20-odd different Icon sauvignonBourgeois and Cotat only using old, large components which demonstrated theformat oak for their best cuvées. Even effect of site, type of yeast, clone, barrelthe most experimental producer, the late fermentation etc. it was clear that whileDidier Dagueneau, who believed in using the wines that had spent time in oak werebarrels for his special cuvées; Pur Sang, undoubtedly more complex, this wasBuisson Renard and Silex, never allowed often at the expense of varietal purity.oak to become a dominant feature. Throughthe combination of old vines, extremely I asked Materman whether he believedlow yields and fastidious winemaking, premium sauvignon blanc had to have aDagueneau ensured that oak only ever noticeable barrel aged component to beplayed a subliminal role. But in new wine producing countries thereis definitely a belief that to be considered a“serious” sauvignon blanc, the wine needs34 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

thought of as serious. “I believe oak canbe a useful tool to develop a complexstyle of sauvignon blanc, but it is certainlynot essential to make a ‘serious’ wine. InMarlborough we obtain incredible fruitintensity and this should be celebratedrather than masked; oak can very easilyobscure varietal expression. At BrancottEstate, we use oak for some of our top levelsauvignon blancs but use large format oak,4000 litre foudres and 10,000 litre cuves.These have a low surface area to volumeratio and contribute a subtle complexity. Butpurity of fruit is still the main focus,” he said. Materman's point of view was echoed byCloudy Bay's Nicholas Lane. “I don't thinkoaked sauvignons are necessarily betterthan non oaked. From our point of view theTe Koko is simply a different expression ofthe same grape and vineyards. Unoakedbeing pure and fruit driven and “close” tothe vineyard whereas Te Koko is a winethat explores sauvignon in a differentlight. Marrying fruit with oak, wild yeastfermentation, evolution of flavours over timein barrel, malolactic, it is the dynamic of allof these factors that creates the wine. It is insome way understandable that people thinkoaked versions are better wines due to thefact they smell and taste more expensive (ieoak). However giving a wine more attentionby no means makes it better and we spendas much time getting our sauvignon blancright as we do with the Te Koko,” he said. Over the Tasman, Shaw and Smith, basedin the Adelaide Hills, is regarded by manyas the leading producer of sauvignonblanc and the wine is always precise,strongly varietal and with tremendouspurity of fruit. According to David LeMireMW, global sales and marketing manager:

“We feel the unoaked style suits our fruit.We seem to get good mid-palate mouthfeelwithout oak and we like the varietal purityfrom that approach as well. An oakcomponent has certainly been consideredbut isn't part of our plans at the moment”. Rather than look to the Loire Valley forinspiration, should Australian and NZwinemakers be looking to Bordeaux andnot the Loire Valley for inspiration? Thebest barrel-fermented sauvignon semillonblends from Pessac Leognan are sublimeand possess the potential to develop andmature in bottle. Perhaps it is the inclusionof semillon, adding texture, mid palaterichness and providing some much neededflesh and structure on which to hang thecloak of new oak, that is the key to successwith this style. The Margaret River WineAssociation put on a tasting in November,2008, which clearly illustrated that the mostimpressive, barrel aged sauvignons suchas Lenton Brae Wilyabrup, Fraser GallopParterre and Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe allowed much of their success to the highpercentage of semillon present. Unfortunately NZ has historically enjoyedlittle success with semillon and existingvineyards have been ripped out to makeway for more popular varieties. This leaveswinemakers with a lack of high qualityfruit to use as a blending componentmeaning that barrel fermented, singlevarietal sauvignon is more common. Butnot everyone is convinced that this is astyle that should be pursued. UK winecommentator Oz Clarke, speaking at thesauvignon blanc seminar, thought thatwinemakers would be ill advised to tweakthe character of their most high profile winetoo much. “NZ sauvignon blanc is all aboutfreshness, purity and clean fruit flavoursand this is the style the consumer bothexpects and wants\". So while winemakers may enjoyexperimenting with barrel fermentedor oaked styles of sauvignon, for theforeseeable future it seems these wines willremain only a niche part of the market. SAUVIGNON BLANC & BLENDS TASTING STARTS PAGE 120.

Hahndorf Hill Winery Adelaide Hills“Hats off to Hahndorf Hill in the Adelaide Hills.It has a penchant for growing and makingexcellent Austrian varieties …”Jane Faulkner, ‘What to drink: Alternative varieties’, The Age To ensure you don’t miss out on our next vintages of Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch, visit our website or call our cellar door at (08) 83887512. www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au

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WINE OF SPECIAL AWARDS FEATURE 2011 THE YEAR Featuring the winners and placegetters for each varietal category from over 10,000 tasted throughout the year. Plus profiles of the Australian and New Zealand winemaker and wine company of the year.Wine of the Year Winner Photography by Orange Lane Studios.

THE JUDGING THE CLASSESEVALUATING THE ELITEANOTHER YEAR, another 10,000 or so For this trophy judging we were pleased SPARKLING to have an outstanding panel involvingwines judged! With around 1000 wines judged legendary multiple chairman of judges in Surprising to see only seven wines, one ofin all capital cities in Australia from virtually Australia and internationally, Ian McKenzie which was a very good example of a sparklingevery wine region, plus the 3000 evaluated by (chairman), senior wine show judge James shiraz. The best wine had all the hallmarks ofWinestate New Zealand wine editor Michael Godfrey (Treasury Wines) and senior a top sparkler with fruit, complexity, obviousCooper and his team in New Zealand we judge and winemaker Dorrien Estate, Mark yeast influence and most importantly,manage to isolate the four and a half and Robertson (also former senior winemaker at palate balance and length of flavour.five-star wines for the ultimate taste-off. Matua Valley Wines, New Zealand). ALTERNATIVE WHITES In what is effectively a trophy tasting the The judges task was to select the top fivehigh flyers are brought back to decide a top wines from each category, including the A difficult class to judge due to the lack offive in each category, plus the Wine of the winners, then at the end of two days bring outstanding benchmarks, but generally aYear. This year the number of categories back all the category winners to select one class of well-made, clean and fresh, buthas expanded to 14, with the addition of overall winner; the Winestate Wine of the Year. in many cases quite straightforward andan alternative red varietals category and an plain, wines. The top wine was neverthelessalternative white varietals category. Although We have no hesitation in recommending a cleverly put together viognier with goodthese names are quite a mouthful it does our category winners for your evaluation. We use of oak to add an extra dimension ofaddress some grapes in quality wines that congratulate the placegetters and winners, complexity and interest.we might have missed in previous years. and thank all the judges who have helped us throughout the year to get to this point, for PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO With over 400 wines brought back to be our trophy panel to finish off the good work.re-judged it made for a most interesting Two wines really stood head and shoulderstasting. Of course, with all wine evaluations Cheers above the rest, one being more in thecontext is everything; some wines had Alsatian style with very ripe fruit and goodimproved since our last visit over the Peter Simic use of phenolics providing texture and depth.past 12 months, others had fallen away Editor/Publisher The other was a wine clearly made in theand evoked the response “what were we “grigio” mould which, while possessingthinking”. As always, all the Winestate quite neutral aromas, had a fresh, crisp andtastings involve blind judging of wines by crunchy palate with perfectly balanced acidity.a panel of three industry peer judges or It was a close call but the judges decided theassociate hospitality experts. grigio style to be the better of the two.Winestate Magazine would like to take this opportunity to thank our major RIESLINGsponsors for their ongoing support A class dominated by sweeter styles, most· Wellcom · Pellenc · Hamburg Süd of which were quite disappointing due· Cotter House · Wine Preserva · Amcor Glass mainly to imbalance of sugar and acid,· Bartercard · Liquid Asset · National Wine Centre and to phenolic broadness. The more· Photography Room · Classic Oak · Donaldson Walsh Lawyers delicate, drier styles on the other hand were· Tucker Creative · Transtherm generally quite fine and elegant regardless of their age or origin. A range of vintages JUDGES was represented in the top five wines, but youth prevailed over age with the top wineIan McKenzie James Godfrey Mark Robertson being a current vintage delicate fine style. SAUVIGNON BLANC Plenty of acid here. A quite diverse range of styles from relatively simple but well-made fresh fruit driven styles through to wines with some age and oak influence. Inevitably there were a few wines with quite searing acidity and a couple with sugar imbalance endeavouring to cover acidity. The top five wines were all of a very high standard with the very best having an extra dimension of fine minerality complemented by smart use of yeast influence.40 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS IN BRIEFFrom left: Winestate editor, Peter Simic, Chairman of judges Ian McKenzie, senior judge James Godfrey and senior and herbaceous examples somehowjudge Mark Robertson. found their way into the class. There was, not surprisingly, considerable debate on style, oak levels and tannin levels. Wines with freshness, riper fruit characteristics with firm but balanced tannins were generally preferred and the top wine was deemed to be a very good representation of this style, and which was unanimously agreed upon by the judges.SEMILLON unanimous selections but the winning malbec SHIRAZ/SYRAH was a unanimous decision due to its varietalA real mixed bag of styles and vintages in expression and well-crafted winemaking. By far the largest and strongest class of thethis class. Some very well made, very youthful whole exercise. As expected, there was aand lean 2011 and 2010 wines needing more PINOT NOIR great range of styles for which this varietytime were outgunned by some of the older lends itself, many of which were excellentwine even though a couple from 2003 were A large class with a high proportion of examples of the various styles. The top fivestarting to fade a little. The judges were not NZ entries which was to be expected. wines amply demonstrated some of theseunanimous in deciding the top wine but were The judges were at a loss to understand and the selection of the very best wine wasn’tunanimous in selecting the best two wines, how some of the entries came to be easy with all five receiving some support.both from 2006 vintage and both displaying selected as they had obvious quality issues. However, the top wine was a unanimous voteclassic Australian semillon maturation That being said, the class was of a and is a superb example of a cool climatecharacteristics, but at the same time fresh quite high overall standard with a good “Rhone” style with many years ahead of it.and lively. Both very fine examples but at the representation of styles from finer moreend of the day there can only be one winner. savoury examples through to quite opulent, SWEET WHITES ripe, rich, concentrated styles. The top fiveCHARDONNAY wines were not easy to separate with three of A little puzzling on how a couple of them all receiving at least one top vote from these wines reached the final as theyThis very large class, not surprisingly, pitted each of the judges, but in the end a beautiful were excessively volatile. A relativelyjudge against judge, not on quality grounds fragrant and well-structured wine from the small class of interesting diverse stylesbut purely on personal stylistic preferences. 2009 vintage was proclaimed the winner. in which some of the more delicate,The class also had an out of balance drier styles were simply outgunnedrepresentation of what can be described MERLOT AND BLENDS by their luscious botrytised cousins.as “sweet and sour” styles, many of which The top wine was a young fresh semillonwere quite broad and phenolic with overt One of the weaker classes but one of the with obvious healthy botrytis influence.MLF (malolactic fermentation) influence. few that produced an absolutely unanimous A very well made wine with beautiful fruit/The top five wines were obviously very good vote from the judges, all agreeing on the botrytis/sugar/oak/acid balance.wines with the final decision being almost top five wines and all agreeing on the topunanimous with two first and one second wine. These five wines were almost self- FORTIFIEDSvote from the judges. A very fine example of selecting as they stood out from the resta modern chardonnay with style and finesse quite clearly. It was nice to see vibrance, How does one select a top wine from suchhand in hand with flavour and balance. sweet fruit, elegance, flavour and balanced a range of outstanding entries? With a tannins in this much maligned variety, and great deal of difficulty, obviously. In theALTERNATIVE REDS the top wine was indeed a fine example. end, the judges decided one of the tawny styles to be fractionally a better exampleA quite small class of interesting “different” CABERNET AND BLENDS of the style than the muscats and tokayswines which, because of the diversity, represented in the top five wines.was somewhat of a challenge to judge. There A large class with vintages ranging backwere a couple of quite strange wines with their to 2005 represented. Generally a goodown personalities which had a certain appeal. standard of quality across the board butAll the same, the top five wines were not disappointingly some very lean, green*All technical details for the Wine of the Year Special Feature are supplied directly from each winery. W I N E S TAT E - W I N E O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D S Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 41

One good shot is all it takes! A bad bottle shot can undo all the good work that goes into the passionate making and branding of a bottle of wine. At Wellcom, we have proven expertise to shoot your wine and deliver premium imagery that will suit all applications. Our highly skilled and experienced photographers and graphic artists use only state-of-the-art digital technology to ensure that your wines get our best shot. Call us now to ensure that the combined efforts of your team, from viticulturists to winemakers to marketers are not shot to pieces by below average imagery. As we say, all it takes is one top shot! So shoot us an email, or dial in the phone number. At Wellcom we also specialise in the production of a wide range of communication and promotional media including graphic design, catalogues, banners, annual reports, posters, newsletters, brochures, TVC production and corporate videos. 18 Kingston Avenue, Richmond SA. 5033 phone +61 8 7220 8900 fax +61 8 8354 4787 [email protected]

SPARKLING of the year WIN NER THE WELLCOM TROPHYTwin Islands Marlborough ChardonnayPinot Noir Brut NVWINEMAKER:Clive Jones.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:This wine shows complex aromas of citrus and hazelnut.The palate has creamy bubbles and biscuity flavours,and a fine, dry finish.FOOD SUGGESTIONS:Delightful by itself as an aperitif but enhanced whenaccompanied by oysters.CELLARING:Ready to consume now.VITICULTURE:Grown on valley floor sites on a mix of sylvos andVSP (Vertical Shoot Positioned) trellis systems.Principally, the wine companies use of the clone AM10/5for pinot and clone 6 chardonnay with a small amountof Dijon clone chardonnay and pinot. The grapes werepicked at approximately 19.0 – 19.5 brix and with12.0 g/L titratable acidity.VINIFICATION & MATURATION:Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed and thenfermented with champagne yeast, full malolacticfermentation and blended and triaged in October2008. Disgorged in October 2010. 50% Chardonnay50% Pinot Noir.CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: +64 3 572 6008E-Mail: [email protected]: www.twinislandswine.comSpecial Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 43

SPARKLING - WINE OF THE YEAR - 2009 W I N E S TAT E - W I N E O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D S F IN AL ISTS PATRICK OF COONAWARRA BROWN BROTHERS MILAWA MOTHER OF PEARL PINOT NOIR CHARDONNAY SPARKLING COONAWARRA PINOT MEUNIER NV CHARDONNAY PINOT NV WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER: Patrick and Luke Tocaciu Cate Looney. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Medium straw. Bursting with floral aromas This current release sparkling wine has with a delicate, beady/yeast undertone. an attractive pale green-gold colour The palate is balanced and refined with with lifted aromas of green apples and a soft, lingering finish, layered with a citrus. One sip and the wine explodes complex, buttery character and crisp acid. in the mouth, with citrus flavours CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: accompanied by a soft creaminess Phone: (08) 8737 3687 which provides delicateness and E-Mail: [email protected] finishing with refreshing acidity. Web: www.patrickofcoonawarra.com CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: +61 3 5720 5500 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.brownbrothers.com.au44 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

YELLOWGLEN VINTAGE SEPPELT ORIGINALPERLE VICTORIA PINOT NOIR GREAT WESTERN SPARKLINGCHARDONNAY 2006 SHIRAZ 2006WINEMAKERS: WINEMAKER:Charles Hargrave and Trina Smith. Emma WoodCOLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:Light, pale straw in colour. Biscuit and Dark purple with a rose pink mousse.bread crust characters are derived Bright and fresh raspberry and maceratedfrom extended time on lees. This leads cherry aromas, combined with subtleinto complex, floral scents with fresh savoury spice notes. The vibrant redstrawberry notes - typical of pinot noir. berry and cherry flavours continue on toThe chardonnay component adds lifted the palate. Soft tannins and acidity arecitrus scents. There is great intensity of balanced by a fine mousse creating a wineflavour, yet it remains extremely fine and that displays length and balance. This is aelegant in the mouth. sparkling shiraz of great character.CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: 1300 651 650 Phone: (03) 5361 2239E-Mail: www.facebook.com/yellowglen E-Mail: cellardoor.seppelt@Web: www.yellowglen.com seppelt.com.au Web: www.seppelt.com.au Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 45

“Hospitality of a high order with an agreeable soupcon of eccentricity at Heritage-listed Cotter House….. a sumptuous Auckland retreat”... The main salons and the two guestrooms and two suites are layered with generously replenished. WiFi coverage is available throughout the houseobjets-d’art, exquisite bibelots, masses of decorative mirrors and myriad and all guestrooms have cable television. Laptops and iPod dockingoriginal paintings. stations are yours upon request.The high-ceilinged, high-tech suites are particularly sumptuous affairs Breakfast is a silver-service gourmet affair where everything is home-featuring big beds piled with pillows, bolsters and cushions, looming made and a range of hot dishes and freshly baked croissants andarmoires and exotic antique furniture. Ensuites gleam with marble and pastries are on offer. The garden is full of sculptures and installations byare stocked with quality toiletries and veritable alps of towels. Tall New Zealand artists, some of which are for sale...windows let in abundant natural light, fresh flowers and chocolates are Susan Kurosawa - The Australian.www.cotterhouse.com Cotter House 4 St. Vincent Avenue, Remuera Auckland 1050, New Zealand ph: +64 9 529 5156 email: [email protected]

ALTERNATIVE WHITE of the year WIN NER THE COTTER HOUSE TROPHYPassage Rock Waiheke IslandViognier 2010WINEMAKER:David Evans.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:Mid-straw here with apricots and pear blossom on the noseand a lovely yeasty complexity. Rich, long, soft palate.FOOD SUGGESTIONS:Pan seared salmon, or goats cheese pizza.CELLARING:Up to 5 yearsVITICULTURE:VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioned) trellis, grown on clay overrock, with semi fruit exposure to sun. Picked at 24 Brix.VINIFICATION & MATURATION:50% stainless ferment, 50% barrel ferment with wild yeast,lees stirring in barrel for 6 months.CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: +64 9 950 3942E-Mail: [email protected]: passagerockwines.co.nzSpecial Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 47

W I N E S TAT E - W I N E O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D S F IN AL ISTS K1 BY GEOFF HARDY SAINT CLAIR PIONEER BLOCK 12 ADELAIDE HILLS ARNEIS 2010 LONE GUM MARLBOROUGH GEWURZTRAMINER 2010 WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER: Shane Harris. Matt Thomson. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Very pale in colour. The nose captures Pale gold. A beautifully varietal nose varietal definition well with juicy pear, with intense, pungent characters of white peach, hazelnuts and fresh Turkish delight, rose petals and lifted aromatic herbs and wild flowers. Palate notes of spice. The wine is full bodied shows purity and poise, underlaying and has a soft, round, oily texture. The textural component from lees work which varietal aromas carry through on the amplify the perfume from the glass. palate, showing intense rose petals and CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Turkish delight, with touches of lychee Phone: (08) 8388 3700 and cinnamon. E-Mail: [email protected] CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Web: www.k1.com.au Phone: +64 3 578 8695 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.saintclair.co.nz48 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2011

JOHANNESHOF CELLARS VILLA MARIA CELLARMARLBOROUGH SELECTION HAWKES BAYGEWURZTRAMINER 2010 VIOGNIER 2010WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER:Edel Everling & Warwick Foley. Nick Picone, Dave Roper.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:This medium style gewürztraminer True to its variety this wine is heady withseduces with its nose of roses, exotic aromatics, featuring honeysuckle,crystallised pineapple and elderflowers. rich apricot and nutmeg. The palate isThis opulent wine is spicy and intense, unctuous and textured, unfolding layerswith flavours of lavender and potpourri, of rich fruit and complexing spice notes.lychees and white chocolate. “Rich, oily CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:and luscious with lemon grass, ginger, Phone: +64 09 255 0600exotic spices, orange water, Turkish E-Mail: [email protected], violets and a powerful finish that Web: www.villamaria.co.nzlasts for minutes.” NZIWSCONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: +64 3 573 7035E-Mail: [email protected]: www.johanneshof.co.nz Special Edition 2011 W I N E S TAT E 49

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