Winestate Magazine Special Edition 2013

SPECIAL EDITION 2013 WINESTATE VOL 36 ISSUE 7 THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO WINE SINCE 1978 Over 10,000 tasted annually AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND WINE BUYING GUIDEWINE OF THE YEAR AWARDS RIESLING QUEENSLAND SAUVIGNON BLANC PINOT GRIS/PINOT GRIGIO WINE OF Platinum’s Precious 6T4H-EPaYgEe ARS P E C I A L E D I T I O N 2 0 1 3 Heritage special feature the best wines, winemakers & wine companies of the year from australia & new zealand JAPANESE A STEP BACK PIONEER WITH IN TIME A PASSION FOR WINE Italy’s blurred bordersPRINT POST APPROVED 100003663 Special Edition 2013 230 Vol 36 Issue 7 $9.95 AUS (inc GST) NEW RELEASES NZ $10.95 SGD $14.95 US $14.99 GBP £8.95 EUR 9.95 China RMB100 HKD $120 INR 1000 RUB 700 CHF 15.00 BGN 25.00 plus Sauvignon Blanc & Blends Riesling Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio Queensland Top 40 Best Wine Buys Under $20









Hamburg Süd.Always an excellent finish.Australian wine exporters know that their customers have high expectations. They have a reputationto live up to, and they need to be able to deliver on the promise. Like making excellent wine, movingit is a science. Perfecting the right cargo care technology and systems takes decades of experience,and consistency is the essence. In the wine markets we reach out to, all over the world, reliability iswhat counts. And it‘s what makes Hamburg Süd stand out.No matter what. www.hamburgsud-line.com

NO.259 SPECIAL EDITION 2013Editor & Publisher Peter Simic E-mail: [email protected] THE WOLF BLASSManaging Editor Lara Simic E-mail: [email protected] FOUNDATIONNZ Editor Michael Cooper E-mail: [email protected] Michael Bates Established 1994Administration Vicki Bozsoki E-mail: [email protected] Director Renate Gerard E-mail: [email protected] Proudly SupportingMarketing Manager Peter Jackson E-mail: [email protected] •Australian Wine Education,Tasting Coordinator Cara Cassetta E-mail: [email protected] •Viticultural, OenologicalPrinting DAI Rubicon Research & Development,Winestate Web Site Justin Martin E-mail: [email protected] •Wine & Health,CONTRIBUTORS •Global WineNew South Wales Winsor Dobbin, Elisabeth King, Clive Hartley Industry ProfileSouth Australia Skye Murtagh, Joy Walterfang, Valmai Hankel, Nigel HopkinsVictoria Jeni Port, Hilary McNevin phone +61 8 8232 5322Western Australia Mike Zekulich, Rod Properjohn [email protected] 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] Australia & VictoriaWinestate Magazine (08) 8357 9277E-mail: [email protected] South WalesAngelica Naranjo - Pearman MediaPhone: (02) 02 9929 3966 E-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] & Eastern EuropeFabio Potestà - Mediapoint & Communications SrlPhone: +39 010 5704948 E-mail: [email protected] Nogier - Buenos Aires - FrancePhone: +33 4 8638 8019 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.buenos-aires.frDISTRIBUTORSAustraliaGordon and Gotch Australia P/LNew ZealandGordon and Gotch New ZealandInternationalDAI RubiconHong Kong & ChinaEverwise Wine LimitedUKComagBRAZILWalker DistributionUSASource Interlink InternationalWINESTATE is published seven times a year by WINESTATE PUBLISHING PTY LTD,81 King William Road, Unley SA 5061.Copyright 2013 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

contentsSPECIAL EDITION 2013 IBITIONEXH COM 2014 V I N I TA LY. A Worldwide Passion 26 VERONA APRIL 06-09 2014 30 VINITALY 48th EDITIONFEATURES GRAND TASTING A R Stogether with WINE OForganizedby26 A STEP BACK IN TIME R E G U LPremier Event at Vinitaly The borders, along with wine history, have been blurred in nothern Italy, VERONA, APRIL 05 2014 writes Andre Pretorius. The give-and- Palazzo della Gran Guardia take history of the now northern Italian town of Bolzano is a reflection of the operawine.it region’s past allegiances. Caught in an Austro-German/Italian tug-of-war, 12 Briefs the region now showcases the best of the Italian-Germanic wine industry. 259_Part_A_Front.indd 35 F E A T U R E17/10/2013 2:54:00 PM VINITALY WINESTATE MAGAZINE.indd 1 S P E C I A L04/10/13 09:5630 PIONEER WITH THE YEAR A PASSION FOR WINE 18 European Report One woman can single-handedly with Sally Easton MW claim that she influenced the wine boom in Japan, writes Denis Gastin. 20 Wine Tutor with Clive Hartley For three decades Fumiko Arisaka has dedicated her working life to starts page 35 22 Wine Travel with Elisabeth King growing the Asian wine industry mainly through Vinotheque, her 24 Wine History with Valmai Hankel specialist wine magazine. Launched 102 Winewords in the 1980s, the magazine can take 104 Grapevine This year our judging panel tasted some much credit for having introduced 110 What’s it Worth? spectacular wines and it took a special Japan and the wider Asian 112 Wine Investment & Collecting wine to walk off with our Wine of The Year community to the culture of wine. 145 Subscription Form award. Our judging panel - chairman of 1 62 Aftertaste judges Stephen John, from Stephen John Wines, Jeni Port, Chief Wine Writer for the W I N E TAST I N G S Melbourne Age and Peter Simic, chairman and founder of Winestate magazine (and 118 Sauvignon Blanc & Blends Wine & Spirit magazine in the US) had to 124 Queensland bring their “A” grade game to the tasting 128 Riesling table, such was the quality of wines we 132 Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio had to sample. This year we have revived the Alternative Reds and Whites categories 135 New Releases and Top 40 after you, our readers, asked that these Best Buys under $20. categories be reinstated. We had the difficult or enviable task, depending on Winestate Magazine your view, of evaluating all the four-and- Issue Number 259 a-half and five-star wines tasted this year Special Edition 2013 to come up with the overall and category winners. Once again it was a super effort Cover photograph by the judges to agree on our Wine of the Orange Lane Studios. Year - Wolf Blass Platinum 2010 Shiraz. Close behind Wolf’s wine was Coldstream Special thanks to Hills Yarra Valley Sparkling Chardonnay Adelaide Pressed Metal. Pinot Noir 2009. Apart from unveiling our major wine winner for 2013, we also announce our Australian and New Zealand Winemakers of the Year along with the Wine Companies of the Year. For a complete list of what we tasted for this issue please refer to www.winestate.com.au

SAILS ON LAVENDER BAYSails on Lavender Bay is perched on seafood. The award winning winethe shore of Sydney’s magnificent list comprises of over 130 Australianharbour with post card views of the and International wine varietals thatSydney Opera House and Harbour have been sourced and compiledBridge. It is the perfect venue for by our sommelier. The wine list hasthose wanting to experience the been awarded a ‘Two Glass’ rating byquintessential beauty of the city. Sails Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazineon Lavender Bay is accessible by either since 2010.ferry, private boat or car. The menuis original and extensive - reflecting Restaurant Hoursthe seasons and freshness of the local Lunch (noon – 3pm)produce. The menu offers what can Tuesday - Friday and Sundaybe described as “refined modern Dinner (6pm – late)Australian”, with an emphasis on fresh Monday – Saturday 2 Henry Lawson Avenue, McMahons Point NSW 2060 | 02 9955 5998 | www.sailsrestaurant.com.au



editorialTHIS IS OUR WINE CHALLENGE ISSUE OF THE YEARwhere we pit our best of the best against each other, looking for a Top Five listfrom each of 14 categories. (After a lull last year where we left out the AlternativeReds and Alternative White categories they are back this year with a vengeance).It does make sense to include the less mainstream varieties in our taste-off asthey are increasingly gaining interest in what is a very well educated marketplace.And with more understanding of the varieties and better fruit from maturing vines,winemakers are producing wines that equal and occasionally surpass, the samevarietal wines from the old world. This year our “trophy panel” included regular chair, Stephen John of StephenJohn wines, Melbourne Age chief wine writer, Jeni Port, and this year, myself; PeterSimic, founder and Editor/Publisher of Winestate and Wine & Spirit US. I was verypleased to see that as a panel we jelled very well, and while we had our favourites,the top wines in each category fell out fairly easily. Often the trophy winner in eachcategory was the clear top placegetter from two judges, which under our Winestate“majority rules” system, it wins. I should explain. First there is no such thing as the perfect judging system; whether you like the 20-pointInternational judging system (resulting in gold, silver or bronze medals or three, four orfive-star awards) or the currently fashionable 100-point Parker system. Assuming a panel of three judges rather than an individualcritic’s score (whether blind or open) most judging panels use an averaging of points to come to a final score. Our view is thatif a wine judged blind gets two out of three judges awarding it (let’s say a gold medal standard) with the third not rating it, oftenit would get downgraded to a silver. Similarly, if a wine is knocked out by two judges from a panel of three judges often it wouldbe upgraded to a bronze medal. Our view is to go with the majority ruling; in the first case it would get a gold, in the second itwould be out. I could do a full editorial on this matter (which I have done and will do again in a future editorial, but that’s for later). So using this majority rules system, how did we choose the best wines in each category and ultimately the Grand Champion?For a start all wines to be judged had to have achieved at least a four-and-a-half or five-star rating in one blind tasting in thepast 12 months. Of course not all eligible wines were submitted; some had run out, while (a very few) for whatever reason,chose not to enter. Next, with over 350 star-rated wines before us these were separated into the appropriate varietal orstyle flights. Beginning with sparkling, then the lighter varietal whites, each flight was completed before we moved on tothe next. Each judge was required to pick their top five in order from a particular flight (plus a few honourable reserves).Once a winner was chosen, based on our majority rules system, we then went down the list to argue for our top five.In all cases judges were free to voice their opinion and push for their favourites. Following the category judgings, all groupwinners were returned in unmarked glasses for the Grand Champion to be decided. Here we were looking for a wine thatstood out from its peers, not just a favourite wine that we personally liked to drink. This year the winner proved to be the outstanding vibrant 2010 shiraz from the Wolf Blass stable. It was the newly tastedPlatinum Medlands Barossa single vineyard wine, which had just snuck into our most recent New Releases tasting withfive stars awarded, which qualified it for this tasting. With incredible outrageous crimson/black colours and leaping outvibrant flavours to match, this just stood out from the large flight of 85 shiraz and syrah wines, demanding to be chosen. A very close Runner-Up was the 2009 Coldstream Hills Yarra Valley, Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sparkling wine. On the nose thewine oozed of Champagne character and for a moment the judges thought someone had made a mistake and introducedan import. This is a wine that competes with quality French non-vintage sparklers and is better than most at the commercialend. Great to see the evolution of this quality standard. For the doubters, go and try a bottle and see if it changes your mind. For a full list of our Top Five Award winners go to the Wine of the Year Awards feature section. We highly recommend allof these wines to you. You may or may not agree with the judges final decision on these wines but I guarantee that youwill find them intriguing and most enjoyable. Many thanks to all those wine companies throughout the year who put their“babies” up for scrutiny and their winemaking peers who made up the majority of the judges we used in our highly criticalpanels. And of course, you our readers, who support this magazine and allow us to bring you our best efforts in sortingout the wheat from the chaff in this extraordinarily complicated wine marketplace.Cheers!Peter SimicEditor/Publisher Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 11

briefs‘FAMILY’ AFFAIR designed the cellar door located at Woodside. “Our vision is to offer something different to wine consumers. Taking a page from theAUSTRALIA’S First Families of Wine have made their first foray Europeans who drink lighter styles and lower alcohol, more food-into the Chinese market. The group of 12 winemakers, including friendly wines, we firmly believe Australia’s future lies in alternativesome the biggest names in Australian wine, held a series of trade wines. That’s why we are concentrating on making lesser-knowntastings, dinners and educational sessions in Beijing, Shanghai varieties which are new and exciting to both existing and potentialand Hong Kong in September. wine drinkers.” ArtWine’s new cellar door also forms a perfect space for internationally recognized local artist Jen Prior to showcase a “By sharing our history, telling our stories and letting our wines permanent collection of originals and limited editions exclusive tospeak for themselves, we can bridge the gap between our countries the vineyard. Not only is Jen recognized in Australia, she also hasand help to build the AFFW, and Australian wine, story in China,” global contracts in the USA and UK. The cellar door will be opensaid chairman Mitchell Taylor, of Taylors Wines. The group has a Thursday-Monday, 11am to 5pm and tapas- style platters will be onshared winemaking history of 1200 years and is comprised of Brown offer Friday-Sunday from November. www.artwine.com.au.Brothers, Campbells, d’Arenberg, De Bortoli, Henschke, HowardPark, Jim Barry, McWilliam’s, Tahbilk, Taylors, Tyrrells and Yalumba. GOLDEN CELEBRATIONHOME IN THE HILLS LOUIS RoedererArtWine owners Judy and Glen Kelly have just launched their Champagne has moved intonew “home” in the Hills. “Building a cellar door has always been the super deluxe market,our dream,” says Judy, “and when we purchased the Woodside releasing a special 2002vineyard to add to our Clare Valley vineyards, we knew we had found jeroboam of Cristal. Thethe perfect location. The stunning French doors we found set the Cristal is from an excellentscene for the build.” Local award-winning architect Max Pritchard vintage year in Champagne but it is the bottle and packaging that will catch investors’ eyes. The three-litre bottle is covered in 24 carat latticework of “medallion links” that shimmer like a jewel at night. Craftsmen, including two master goldsmiths, worked four days to produce each bottle. Seven hundred metres of brass tape were dipped in 24 carat gold and more than 500 weld points were employed. Only three bottles were shipped to Australia. The distributor is red + white and the price? There won’t be a lot of change from $20,000.wine-ark FOR COLLECTORS OF FINE WINE Wine Ark Provenance Program Bottles of aged wine that are transacted in Australia rarely have an irrefutable climate controlled storage history. Buyers of vintage wine generally haven’t had a reliable means by which to verify the storage conditions of a wine..until now. Visit our site for more details on Wine Ark’s Provenance Program. 11 SITES NATIONALLY ○ CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE ○ BUY VINTAGE WINE www.wine-ark.com.au 1300 946 32712 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

briefs‘EXPLOSION’ OF BUBBLES BACK IN BUSINESSCHAMPAGNE sales in Australia exploded in 2012, moving the PENFOLDS Magill Estate Restaurant has re-opened followingcountry from eighth to become the seventh largest champagne an extensive revamp. Located at the spiritual home of Penfoldsmarket in the world. (established in 1844), with spectacular views of the Gulf of St Vincent,More than five million bottles were imported, an increase of 11.2 per Penfolds Magill Estate offers a food experience comprising a menucent on the previous year. The Australian taste in champagne is quite choice of five- and eight-course options that can be enjoyed withfirm. We like dryness, non-vintage styles and the big houses. The major matched wines. A Grange collection showcasing wines spanningchampagne houses now represent 96 per cent of the Australian market, 1951-2008 is available, together with an extensive Special Binaccording to figures from the Champagne Bureau Australia. However, selection. Executive chef Scott Huggins leads the new team in thegrower champagnes are beginning to make their mark, moving from kitchen with Sandy Mayo, global brand business director for Penfoldsjust 1.5 per cent of the market in 2007 to 3.9 per cent in 2012. Heavy saying: “It has been 19 years since the restaurant first opened itsdiscounting of the big names in champagne is believed to have had doors. Our objective was to deliver a showcase for our wines anda pivotal role in the growth of the category, with sommeliers choosing transform the existing space in to a comfortable and relaxed fineto promote the little-known growers on their wine lists. “When you are dining experience. All items featured in the restaurant, includinglooking at grower champagne this is where you find real character,” tables and chairs, the unique aerial rug (representing an aerial imagesays Ross Duke, of the Ross Duke Wine Company, a major importer of of the winery), lighting, bespoke heritage wine wall/cellar have beengrower champagne. “That’s where the excitement is today.” sourced by designer and restaurateur Pascale Gomes-McNabb and made in Australia to give our Penfolds customer a holistic AustralianSPANISH INFLUENCE GROWING dining experience.” Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant is open for evening service Wednesday through to Saturday from 6.30pm, andTEMPRANILLO is past the stage of being regarded as an emerging lunch on Sundays from noon. Bookings are essential. The restaurantvariety in this country. It has well and truly arrived. According to is 8km from Adelaide at 78 Penfold Rd, Magill. www.magillestate.com.the TempraNeo wine promotion group, plantings have grown from209ha in 2004 to 712ha in 2012 and so have producers with 341 nowexploring the possibilities with the Spanish red grape. The group- Mayford, Mount Majura, Tar and Roses, La Linea, Gemtree andRunning With Bulls - has been plotting the different styles now comingthrough. More fertile soils, it claims, produce large berries suited tofragrant and fresh rose or lighter-bodied red wines. In less fertile areas,berry size is restricted and the wine is medium-bodied with a morefleshy, generous mouthfeel and more assertive tannin. Cooler climatesproduce reds in the red fruit spectrum, while warmer climates producemore black fruit characters. As vines increase in age, the expectationis complexity in Australian tempranillo will increase. Australia’s Finest Selection of French Wine Buy On Line direct from the importer More than 1500 European Wines Pre Arrival Offers Over 1000 Different Burgundies French Wine Club Wines from Rhone, Alsace and Bordeaux Producer profiles Oporto and further afield Regular Emails Tastings and Dinners Wholesale Prices for Resellers21 Toorak Road Visit our website and join our free email list for all the latestSouth Yarra French Wine releases, Special Offers and information:Vic 3141P: 03 9326 5737 www.grandmillesime.com.auF: 03 9326 [email protected] Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 13

briefsLOST AND FOUND NEW BLUE MOUNTAINTHERE is a new-look to Tyrrell’s Lost Block range - 20 years after BREWERYthe first release under the label. Tyrrell’s Lost Block flagship, theLost Block Semillon, was named after a vintage misadventure THE iconic Carrington Hotelin 1993, when semillon grapes on a small vineyard block were in the Blue Mountains is toinadvertently forgotten about at harvest time. After realising the add a micro brewery to itsoversight, the “lost” semillon was eventually picked and chief attractions. The new Katoombawinemaker Andrew Spinaze created an approachable, softer style Brewing Company and Bar willthan the classic age-worthy Hunter semillons for which Tyrrell’s is be located in the convertedknown. The tank of juice was duly titled the “Lost Block” and the power station at the back of thename stuck, with the range now including six classic varietals, first grand hotel in the region as the latest phase in the Carrington’sall sporting a label that tells the story of the Lost Block. “We long-term restoration. The brewery, due to open in time for Christmas,decided to move the brand from the more traditional execution will initially feature three labels, all with a Blue Mountains reference andin packaging to something that graphically embraces the story of story - Three Sisters Pale Ale, The Great White Fleet American Palethe Lost Block, with the introduction of a caricature of the vineyard Ale and Chimney Sweep Porter. Carrington Hotel co-owner, Michaelmanager, set in a number of winery and vineyard situations looking Brischetto, said there would also be a lager. Visitors to Katoombafor the Lost Block,” says Tyrrell’s sales and marketing manager Brewing Company will be able to watch how the beer is made. “ThereMike Cutrupi. “The label graphics also flow through to the carton will be one handrail separating you from the production floor so you willdesigns which will certainly catch the eye of the consumer when be able to smell and hear and be a part of the process but safely behinddisplayed in store.” The new Lost Block range features a semillon the barrier,” Brischetto said. “We’re calling it our adults-only bar. Ourand chardonnay from the Hunter Valley, a sauvignon blanc from the other bars are for the younger patrons and this will be for the 40-plusAdelaide Hills, cabernet sauvignon from McLaren Vale, merlot from set who would rather listen to some cool jazz than to a jukebox.” Morethe Limestone Coast and a shiraz from Tyrrell’s vineyard holdings than $10 million has already been spent on restoring the 130-year-oldin Heathcote, Victoria. “These terrific young wines continue to grand old lady of Katoomba during the past nine years, includingrepresent outstanding value and this exciting new package will opening the popular Carrington Cellars and Deli, restoring Carringtononly develop the acceptance and popularity that has been growing Place in front of the hotel as a public space, revamping the Old Bankover the past two decades,” said managing director Bruce Tyrrell. Brasserie and reclaiming the Harp and Fiddle, and installing a natural gas co-generation electricity generator. COLLECTOR’S CORNER ON THE MOVEPENFOLDS Grange, predictably, topped the list of Wine Ark’s list ofAustralia’s Most Collected Wines in 2013. Wine Ark chief executive IT’S all change at Tamar Ridge,officer John Cuff said this year’s list reveals there is a slight shift with the cellar door switchingfrom collectors putting down classic Australian cellar staples, with from the Kayena wineryan increasing amount of diversification throughout their holdings. to the former Rosevears’“Whilst Penfolds is still the most popular brand overall, there have site closer to Launceston.been many new additions to the list,” said Cuff. New additions to Brown Brothers Tasmaniathe list for 2013 include Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz, Grosset Gaia and CEO Roland Wahlquist said:Pierro Chardonnay, with 16 per cent of the list comprised of first-time “The Rosevears property isentries. Penfolds brands topped the list for the second time running an exceptional site and thewith eight entries and 31 of the most popular 50 wines. There were elevated position gives it a fabulous panoramic view over the Tamar42 reds on the list and just eight whites, with Grosset Polish Hill River. It is a great location, easily accessible from Launceston”.Riesling just edging out Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay. The new site was included in the assets purchased by Brown Brothers in 2010. Up until now it has had several different uses. The new Tamar Ridge cellar door will be the home of Tamar Ridge and Pirie wines, and will also showcase the Devil’s Corner range. The overall vision is for the site to provide visitors to the area with a strong understanding of the label’s flagship variety, pinot noir. Brown Brothers marketing manager Will Adkins said: “Pinot noir is really our focus variety here in Tasmania. It’s a very versatile grape variety, though it’s challenging to perfect the different styles for each of our wine brands”. With immediate effect the Kayena vineyard and winery site will be known as the Brown Brothers Kayena Winery and will be closed to visitors. Tamar Ridge, Pirie and Devil’s Corner wines are all made at the Kayena Winery.14 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

briefsEXPANSION PLANS OSBORN FIGHTS BACKHUNTER Valley winery Hungerford Hill has unveiled plans toexpand its production of emerging wine varieties, including THERE have been manytempranillo, vermentino and gewurztraminer. Recently disparaging comments aboutappointed winemaker, Adrian Lockhart, said Hungerford Hill had the quality of wines producednow planted all three varieties to ensure consistency of supply. in 2011 - particularly red winesLockhart’s comments came after Hunter Valley Wine Show from South Australia, somechair of judges, Jim Chatto, called on the region’s vignerons of which were dilute. It was ato explore different wine varieties. The new releases are being vintage scorned. It comes astrialled first with Hungerford Hill’s wine club members, before no surprise to keen watchersbeing sold to the public. of the Australian wine scene, however, that outspoken d’Arenberg winemaker Chester OsbornMODERN MENU totally disagrees with that analysis. Osborn argues that the temperatures and rainfall in McLaren Vale during the growingMONOPOLE, the Potts Point season dictated “another very good to great year” in 2011 and sayswine bar and eatery and the d’Arenberg shiraz from 2011 were more than a match for theirwinner of the 2014 Sydney predecessors. The d’Arenberg 2011 Amazing Sites shiraz, a collectionMorning Herald Wine List of 12 wines, are all from individual vineyard sites and reflect theirof the Year award, has terroir. Grapes were picked up to three weeks apart but all at similarnow introduced a weekend baumes. Made in tiny quantities, the wines retail for around $100prix-fixe lunch menu. Chef each. “Every vineyard has its own individual personality,” OsbornBrent Savage’s modern says. “Things like soil, geology and age of the vines all impact theshareable menu changes flavours of the grapes and the resulting wines. Some vineyardseach weekend and costs $38 whisper quietly, while others dance into the room demanding yourfor two dishes. The choice of two courses could be pot roasted attention. We encourage their personalities to flourish with minimalchicken with a side of roasted cauliflower and pickled Jerusalem intervention, both in the vineyard and the winery.” d’Arenberg doesartichoke, or diners can choose a main and a dessert like goats not use fertilisers or herbicides, there is minimal or no irrigation andcheese marshmallow with blood orange and star anise ice cream. no soil cultivation. Time honoured techniques are used in the winery,Diners can expect a new experience with new options every including open fermentation, foot treading and basket pressing. Eachweek. Sommelier Nick Hildebrandt’s award-winning wine list is parcel of fruit receives the same treatment and spends 20 months inan eclectic selection of rare and boutique wines from around the a mixture of new and used French and old American oak barriques.world, some created especially for Monopole. Monopole’s take on The result is 12 distinctly individual wines. “These 2011 wines are“happy hour” means that on weekdays between 5pm and 6.30pm excellent and already showing the same nuances of difference as thecarafes of white or red wine are just $18 and cocktails are $12 for 2010 vintage,” says Osborn. “There has been a lot of generalisationan after-work pick-me-up. Monopole is at 71A Macleay St, Potts about the quality of the 2011 vintage, but when presented with thesePoint; phone (02) 9360 4410. www.monopolesydney.com.au. wines in your glass, you can’t deny their excellence.”BLASS BROADSIDE PIONEER PASSESWOLF Blass, one of the most outspoken members of the wine THE Riverina wine region losttrade even in semi-retirement, has called for each of the nation’s one of its pioneers with the2500 winemakers to contribute to an international marketing fund, passing of Louis Delpianocontroversially accusing some of being parasites and profiting from in late June. Credited withregional reputations. “To succeed in business we need promotion bringing the Riccadonna styleand something terrible will happen if we don’t - nothing,” Blass told to Australia, Delpiano was aan American Chamber of Commerce forum. “We’ve got no funding central figure in the early daysto promote the industry. We should have a levy on most winemakers. of winemaking in Griffith.There are a lot of parasites in this country who don’t contribute tothe marketing of their product.” Blass, 79, is a two-time International Italian-born, he spentWinemaker of the Year and the nation’s only four-time Jimmy Watson his formative years as aTrophy winner. He came to Australia in 1961 to work for Kaiser Stuhl, winemaker in Spain and Argentina before boarding a ship boundand then started his own label in 1973. The Wolf Blass Foundation for Australia in 1956. Within days of arrival in Griffith, he securedand Winemakers’ Federation of Australia have been undertaking a job with McWilliam’s and later with De Bortoli. After leavinga six-month review of the Australian industry, including export De Bortoli, he became a consultant and contract winemaker forstrategies, which is being considered by the WFA board. a number of wineries, including Casella Wines, Toorak Wines, Westend Estate and Warburn Estate. Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 15

briefsTASMANIA’S CUSH ONEXPANSION THE MOVEEXPANSION and new IT’S the end of an era at Springprojects are very much on the Vale Winery on Tasmania’sagenda for several leading East Coast, with highlyTasmanian wineries. Stefano respected winemaker DavidLubiana and wife, Monique, Cush and his wife Kristen,recently opened their new also a winemaker, planningbiodynamic food and wine to move to Queensland. Cushinterpretation centre on the has been with Spring Vale forfamily vineyard at Granton, 12 years, helping lift the Lynenorth of Hobart. The venture was co-funded by the Australian family, of which his wife is a member, to a business with a productionGovernment under its T-QUAL grants program and was opened of over 10,000 cases a year and a rating as one of Tasmania’s bestby the member for Lyons, Dick Adams. The project began in producers. With three sons approaching high school age, the Cush2011 and is intended to highlight the Lubiana family’s biodynamic family wanted to move from Cranbrook to somewhere urban. “It’s beenvineyard program. Lubiana is Tasmania’s first and only certified a very complicated decision to make, but I’ll be helping whoever isbiodynamic producer. The new display features media resources appointed as the next winemaker over the next 12 months and alsoand activities, and will soon be joined by a new cellar door hope to continue as a brand ambassador,” Cush says. He hopes torestaurant that will also promote sustainable food and wine make wine in Queensland and would be open to working with one of theproduction methods. Meanwhile, Port Sorrell winery Ghost Rock Granite Belt producers in a consultancy role. “We’ve got some excitinghas lodged plans with Latrobe Council for a $1 million expansion plans for down the track but for now I will be handing the Spring Valethat will see a new winery and interpretation centre built on its job to someone who will be getting great fruit,” Cush says. “I think I willsite. Ghost Rock managing director Colin Arnold said he hoped be leaving the business in very good shape, with Spring Vale goingthe new development would help to attract more tourists to the from strength to strength. The styles are established, everyone is happy.region and said it was a way for Ghost Rock to introduce tourists There have been a lot of very impressive applicants for the job alreadyto the great food and wine in the region. Throw in a proposed and after 12 years I’d like to achieve something else. It’s been stressfulnew cellar door at Loira Vines in the West Tamar, the new winery at times. We think the time is right for a new phase in our lives.”at Derwent Estate, Nick Glaetzer’s urban Glaetzer-Dixon wineryand cellar door plans for Hobart and it is clear wine in Tasmania MELLOW TIMESremains very much in vogue. TASMANIAN vigneron EvanNEW LOOK FOR Rolley likes to hold his pinotsOLDER TOWN back until they are mellow enough to be enjoyed atMARQUISE Bar is the Sydney their best, so he recentlyregion’s newest wine bar simultaneously released thein one of Australia’s oldest 2009 and 2010 from his Heriotstowns - Windsor. Darren Point vineyard on the familyFahey and his wife, Jacqui, property at Castle Forbes Baydescribe Marquise as “a in the Huon Valley. The 2009 iscosy place with a touch of a fully-developed pinot noir that has elements of burgundy about it, whilemystique, a little bit of Paris the 2010 is a bigger style. Both wines are vinified by Michael Vishacki atand a splash of vintage”. The Panorama and both are made in tiny quantities. Rolley, head of the Tawalls are decorated with old French alcohol posters. Ann timber company in Australia, has also launched a couple of tourism ventures with the Kermandie Hotel, which is 50m from the banks of the The wine bar offers a range of boutique wines and premium Huon River. Visitors can charter the beautiful wooden sailing craft Olivecraft beers, along with gourmet tasting plates featuring May from Kermandie Marina for a quick jaunt up the Huon to Castlecheese, seafood, dips, charcuterie, chocolate and fruit. Forbes Bay, where they disembark for a wine tasting at Heriots PointThere are usually a couple of copies of Winestate to peruse before a return journey to the marina. The two-hour cruise and tastingas well. Darren, a horticulturist, viticulturist and researcher of cost $50. There is also a package including overnight accommodationgrapevine, soil and water interactions, says he has always been at the Kermandie Hotel, dinner at the on-site Sass restaurant, breakfastsinterested in wine, and both he and his wife have undertaken and the winery cruise for $420 per couple. There is also the possibilitysommelier courses. Marquise Bar is at 1/180 George St, of “sunset” wine tours on Sunday afternoons using both the Olive MayWindsor (the old post office building) and is open Thursday and Rolley’s own wooden sailing craft La Drone. Contact Zara Englishto Monday from 5pm on Thursdays and Fridays and at noon at the Kermandie Hotel for bookings; phone (03) 6297 1052.over the weekend. www.marquisebar.com.au.16 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

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europeanreport WORDS SALLY EASTON MW MUSCADET ON THE MOVEWE’VE seen it the world over. A wine style a close association of place, plate and process. It’s a subtle style, which is partgains huge popularity. Supply struggles to wine, this was it. of its challenge in a world that has grownkeep up with demand. More vineyards go to appreciate the full pungency of Newin, yields creep up and standards creep Another of its challenges is communicating Zealand sauvignon blanc, for example.down to meet demand; dilution and inertia different levels of wine quality. This iscreep in. The wine loses faith and popularity. definitely changing since the introduction These two levels have existed for a of a new third tier in 2011 - communal crus. long time. What is new, from 2011, are How long does it take for a region to The first level of muscadet is called just that. the communal crus. Some producersregain traction with consumers? One This is arguably the main appellation in have been working for a long time on acould probably put France’s muscadet decline, where the quality is often not good very different type of still wine. These allin this camp. The wine’s heyday was a enough at a basic commercial level, where come from within the Muscadet Sevregeneration ago, and it’s certainly not the the wines are typically faintly aromatic but et Maine appellation. Three are officiallymost fashionable wine just now, and hasn’t rather neutral, clean, dry white wines. recognised: Gorges, Clisson, and Lebeen for a while. The vineyard area has Pallet. Producers have been making thedeclined by 25 per cent in the last decade The second level of muscadet has on wine style for 15 years and more. It justto 9000ha. The number of growers has the label “sur lie”. This is important, and took until 2011 for official recognition anddeclined much more, as many simply much more interesting. Typically much thus a different labelling option.cannot make ends meet. There are around of “sur lie” production comes from a600, more than a third less than in the second muscadet appellation - Muscadet Four others are not yet recognised, butprevious decade. Sevre et Maine. So the label will show it is “imminent” which may mean another “Muscadet Sevre et Maine, sur lie”. year or more for the French appellationIt’s a subtle style, which is part of its challenge in a world that has grown toappreciate the full pungency of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. While the wine world has globalised The appellation is named thus because system to grind through. These aresince the 1970s, muscadet’s fortunes it lies around the Sevre and Maine rivers, Goulaine, Monnieres St. Fiacre, Chateauhave retrenched. You don’t really find both tributaries of the river Loire, flowing Thebaud, and Mouzillon-Tillieres. Andthe grape variety from which muscadet in a north-westerly direction to join the another two are on the way in maybe theis made - melon de Bourgogne - outside river Loire at the south-east corner of next five years; the wines already exist: Laof this small region of France. Nantes. These wines are all about lees Haye Fouassiere, and Vallet. (“lie”). Melon de Bourgogne is a pretty But things could be changing. The neutral grape variety, but working with The style of these specialist wines is onemuscadet vineyards lie to the south and lees - the yeast cells left after fermentation of long ageing on lees, up to three yearseast of Nantes at the western end of the has finished - adds weight, dimension and maybe even longer.river Loire where it subsequently flows into and creaminess. Good quality Muscadetthe Atlantic Ocean. Altitude is incidental in sur lie is all about lightness with a Each cru makes its own rules. In Lethese vineyards, where 30-40m height is salty, oceanic influence, tangy edge Pallet for example, the use of bothconsidered a hill. This is much the same and freshness. There’s no huge overt malolactic fermentation, which is thusas on Bordeaux’s left bank. fruitiness with this variety, though white far anathema to melon de Bourgogne, fruits such as apple, pear and peach and barrel ageing are allowed. This cru Part of the region’s challenge is that feature; it’s more neutral-steely, with has two main soil types. According to themuscadet has long been associated fresh cream and a floral flintiness. And new communal cru regulations, the fruitwith a “drink the youngest available” it has a characteristic faint petillance from one soil type rests on lees in tankmentality - fresh, young, delicate, white coming from retained carbon dioxide in for 18 months. Unusually, the wine fromwines with a faint salty tang which the wine as a result of the sur lie ageing the other soil type undergoes malolacticaccompany the local seafood dishes, fermentation and is put in new oak barrelsnotably fruits de mer. If ever there was to confer power and butteriness. The two18 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

are then blended, with 80 to 90 per cent absolutelyof the blend typically from the non-oak irresistible...portion of wine. This creates a bigger, with seafoodmore broad-shouldered wine, with white-buttery, cream and almond notes, one Handcrafted in Central Otago,might say Burgundian. What it doesn’t New Zealand - Drumsara Drytaste like is typical muscadet. Pinot Gris is so suited to seafood it’s unfair to keep them apart. The weird rules of appellation areamusing to note. It’s best not to ask, Freshly exotic, sumptuousbut the moniker “sur lie” is reserved and lively, Drumsara Pinotfor wines (from both the Muscadet and Gris sings for its supper andMuscadet Sevre et Maine appellations) delights in the task.that are bottled between March 1 andNovember 30 following the vintage (that Dancing notes of pear andis, September/October in the northern lime stimulate the senseshemisphere). And of course it has to while apricot and mangoactually have been resting on lees linger and evolve.following the harvest until the bottling Drumsara Dry Pinot Gris,time. If a producer bottles right at the end a wine so suited to seafoodof this period, a wine can have up to 14 you have to believe naturemonths on lees, enough for the material to had it planned.work its weight and texture magic. Now available in However, if a wine rests on its lees New Zealand, Australia,beyond November 30 following the Singapore and China.vintage (that is, all the new communalcrus), it cannot be called “sur lie”, even Ph +64 27 224 7447though it’s been resting on its lees. The Fax +64 3 441 3960point about leaving a lightish white wine [email protected] lees is to build weight, texture and www.drumsara.comflavour. Some of these new communal cruwines have had up to three years on lees.With longer time on lees they lose thecharacteristic petillance of “sur lie” wines,but they gain markedly in complexity.Communal cru Muscadets taste steely,sometimes with wafting aromatic smoke,flinty, still with a saline quality, andsavouriness, and with a much fuller bodythan “regular” muscadets. Communal crus account for about 2 percent of total muscadet production. Thatmight seem small, but the potential is therefor the category to grow. And it’s alreadytwice the proportion that vintage portoccupies in total port production. Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 19

winetutor WORDS CLIVE HARTLEYHANDLING THE DINING OUT DILEMMAWITH summer finally upon us there is no considered and precise food and wine Asian-influenced dishes are a constantbetter time to watch the sunset seated in experience can be achieved. When you challenge. Look for wines that can bea good restaurant with the menu and wine dine out then go for the simplest wine with flexible, palate cleansing or refreshing.list by your side. However, while some as little flavour as possible to sit behind the Vinegar or chilli dishes need acidity.people cherish the ritual of choosing the food. Use wine as a palate cleanser. Wines with residual sugar can also helpwine for the table and matching it with food, with hot, spicy dishes. If a meat dish hasothers find it an onerous task and need Alternatively, the only way around this an umami element (the fifth taste, foodhelp. Call the sommelier, the person who dilemma is to go for wines by the glass containing glutamate) then look for moreshould shoulder the burden and provide or choose the degustation menu with mature wines that have silky textures andan insight into the vast oceans of wine on matching wines. Failing that, then look for earthy or meaty flavours rather than aoffer, as well as someone who should be on a good listing of half bottles. This is still fruity, youthful, tannic red. Aged winesspeaking terms with the chef. The number left out of many wine lists and shouldn’t in general are better food matches, soof sommeliers has grown in Australia and be. Half bottles are ideal for two or four search the wine list. At all cost avoid highlywhile they still seem to be a CBD creature people dining out. It allows you to match tannic or alcoholic wines as these canit is now an accepted role played out in a the first course and then the main course increase the heat and spiciness of food.good restaurant. with appropriate wines. The lighter-bodied reds are more likely to be a successful food match. Grape So what should you expect from Food and wine matching varieties such as pinot noir, caberneta sommelier? Well, anyone can call franc, sangiovese, tempranillo or barberathemselves a sommelier. The job title is not is a personal adventure are more adaptable. Syrah/shiraz fromrecognised by government, so there are no cooler climates can work in a similarminimum qualifications, apprenticeships and what works for way. International styles like valpolicellaor established grades of pay. There are, or beaujolais can also be considered.however, a number of qualifications that one person may seem White wines are better if they are unoakedsommeliers should possess; the two or lightly oaked so pinot grigio, pinotmost recognised bodies are the Court of indigestible to another. gris, riesling or semillon are safer bets.Master Sommelier and the Wine and Spirit Sauvignon blanc can go along happilyEducation Trust. This will give them the When it comes to matching food and wine, with herbal minty Vietnamese dishes andall-round international wine knowledge and you discover that the sommelier is on an light aromatic stir-fired dishes, as theiryou would expect. A sommelier should all-expenses paid trip down the Rhine, then flavours are similar.be able to take control of the food and the task will fall on to your shoulders. So herewine matching task and offer selections at are some basic rules. Match intensity and With Indian food some of the samedifferent price points, as well as validating weight of food with that of a wine. Avoid highly rules apply. Tannic wines can tastetheir recommendations. tannic wines with everything but a bloody astringent and add to the weight of what steak. Heavily oaked wines should also be is often an already substantial meal. Some I take my hat off to a sommelier, as avoided, as well as overtly fruity, rich wines. suggestions here are a nicely chilled rosethe cognitive challenge of the job is The astute reader will now have realised or sparkling red wine. With heavily spicedbewildering. Imagine the difficulty of that I have just condemned the majority of and thicker dishes such as curry, winedeciding what wine would suit say this Australian reds. Barossa shiraz is ideal for might best be served before and after thesedish: Roasted squab breast, confit leg, BBQ, chargrilled red meats or rich stews, dishes rather than trying to match them.macadamia nut yoghurt, boudin noir, alternatively enjoy it on its own. Acidic wineschocolate, baby beetroot, shichimi pepper. can cut through dishes with some fat. Acidity The underlying message in this column hasDeciding on a style of wine out of a list is a very useful attribute when it comes to been that unless you can arrange to have halfof say 250 wines with 30 different grape food and wine matching. Where the dish a dozen wines to match the correspondingvarieties is enough to make you consider has many contrasting flavours, which often melee of flavours on a plate, then the oldan easier career. What is more, selecting occurs these days (see above), you have to adage of “less is best” and choosing simple,wine for an entire table can be impossible. consider the most dominant ingredient and fresh, crisp wines might solve any dilemma. try to match this. In some cases this can be However, when all is said and done, food You could adopt the policy of leaving the accompaniment and not the actual meat and wine matching is a personal adventureserious food and wine matching to a dinner or fish the dish revolves around. and what works for one person may seemparty at home, where there is only one indigestible to another.entree and one main course. Here a more20 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

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winetravel WORDS ELISABETH KINGIN AND AROUND THE CAMBRIDGE’S CLOISTERED CORRIDORSIT’S been a stellar year for the ancient views of sporting fields, botanic gardens Perhaps scholars traditionally gaineduniversity town of Cambridge. Basking in and the historic rooftops of Cambridge. most of their sustenance by feeding thethe afterglow of the birth of Prince George, www.thevarsityhotel.co.uk. mind in past centuries because untilthe UK is rubbing its hands at the prospect recently Cambridge’s dining scene wasof a jump in tourist numbers. And with Cambridge’s history stretches back bleak. There’s plenty of cafes serving cakesthe Cambridge name now attached to to Roman times and it was very much a and a fast lunch such as Stickybeaks (nearthe most famous baby on the planet, the commercial centre before Latin-speaking Sidney Sussex College). Atmospherecity hopes that his fledgling celebrity star refugees from riots at the Sorbonne arrived to fans should get a table near the windowspower will rub off. kickstart a new life as a college town in the 13th at the Cambridge Chophouse for full-on century. A two-hour stroll will take you through views of King’s College Chapel as they Not that visitors have ever been lacking. the oldest of Cambridge’s central colleges eat. The menu is very British and includesThe mediaeval maze of streets at the heart from Jesus to Emmanuel. The revamped Polar daily specials such as suet pudding ofof the old town are jam-packed with tourists Museum at Cambridge University’s Scott Polar the day, steak and ale and whole bassfrom the opening of the first daffodils in Research Institute was re-opened last June with new potatoes, lemon and dill. Realspring to the Indian summer months of and is one of the most important museums of ale is available on tap and there’s aSeptember and October when it’s nigh polar artefacts in the world, including Captain whitewashed walls and oak beams cellaron impossible not to take breathtaking Scott’s diary from his tragic expedition to filled with carefully selected wines from allphotos of the River Cam even with a low Antarctica. There’s an Australian element, over the world. A brother restaurant - Stpixel camera. too, in the form of a collection of polar-themed John’s Chophouse - housed in a ye-olde artworks from the 1960s by Sir Sidney Nolan. If 17th-century building has one of the best If you stay at The Varsity Hotel and Spa, quirky is more your style, Kettle’s Yard is made outdoor eating areas in town. Just outsideone of the few luxury hotels in the city Cambridge in the picture postcard village of Hemingford Grey you’ll find The Cock,There’s an Australian element, too, in the form of a voted The Good Pub Guide’s 2013 Pubcollection of polar-themed artworks from the 1960s of the Year and Cambridgeshire’s Diningby Sir Sidney Nolan. Pub of the Year.centre, you can even snap away without up of four rustic cottages once owned by H.S For gourmets, though, the name toleaving the premises. The property was “Jim” Ede, an early collector of major modern memorise is Alimentum. Opened six yearsestablished by four merchant bankers - all artists such as Brancusi. He bequeathed the ago, it is far and away the best restaurantCambridge graduates. The 48 suites have collection to the university on the condition in town and serves up perfectly cookedNew York-style minimalist decor and each is that everything should be preserved as it was English fare such as grilled sirloin withnamed after a different college (Oxford and during his lifetime. bone marrow. Other Michelin-rated - notCambridge). Portraits and prints of notable starred - dining tables to seek out includealumni adorn most walls and the college Peter Cook, Germaine Greer, Eric Idle, Restaurant 22 and Midsummer Housetheme continues in the grading of the rooms. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and the Daily where the first floor overlooks the River Show’s John Oliver are just a sprinkling Cam. Hand-crafted brews are the lure at The building is also home to River Bar of the famous names who have trod Leaky Pete’s Oyster and Wine Bar.Steakhouse and Grill, which does double the boards at the Cambridge Universityduty as the hotel restaurant and provides Footlights Dramatic Club, popularly Cambridge Wine Merchants has fourgreat views of the River Cam as you chow known as Cambridge Footlights. It’s still shops in town and took out the Internationaldown on meals featuring East Anglian an incubator of up-and-coming comic Wine Challenge 2012 Wine Merchant of theregional produce. Steak and wine master talent. As is the Haymakers in Chesterton Year Award. The company’s New Worldclasses are a popular local activity and (thehaymakerspub.com) for indie rock buyer, Stewart Travers, is a mate of some ofthe wines are reasonably priced and bands. And if you thought the streetscapes Australia’s leading independent and cellarinteresting. During my visit the wine of of Cambridge mirror the sort of ethnic make door labels. Another treat of a visit is thatthe month was a Pinot Noir Domaine de up featured on Midsomer Murders, head for Cambridge Wine Merchants is the leadingCabrials from Languedoc, which proved the multicultural bar and restaurant scene on fortified wines specialist in the UK andthat warm climates can deliver the goods. A Mill Rd where Douglas Adams of Hitchhikers also stocks rare bottlings from Romania,communal terrace showcases magnificent Guide to the Galaxy fame was born. Lebanon and England in addition to those from the world’s major wine regions.22 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

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winehistory WORDS VALMAI HANKELANDRE L SIMON IN THE HUNTER VALLEY - PART THREEANDRE Simon spent only three days Hermitage, and had made no comment of Coonawarra and McLaren Vale fruit.in the Hunter, but managed to cram in about it – an indication that he did not Both wines were made by the legendarya great deal. Last time we left him and like the wine. winemaker and blender Roger Warren.his three companions, Max Lake, RudyKomon and Neville Baker, they were After lunch they drove to another There was no time for Simon to rest. Thearriving on a warm morning at Dalwood, Penfold vineyard, Wybong Park, near next morning, December 23, 1963, theone of the Penfold properties in the Muswellbrook, which Simon wrongly men drove to Cessnock to visit Tyrrell’sHunter. They were met by winemaker called “Wyborne” – the “bong” ending of winery, where they were shown aroundPerc McGuigan, who gave them two the name must have sounded harsh to his by Murray Tyrrell. Simon was especiallywines made from semillon. The wine French ears. It was rare for him to misspell impressed that the “old shack”, the homelighter in both colour and body was a name. At Wybong Perc McGuigan had which the first Tyrrell, Edward, built inbeing sold as chablis, the other as planted “200 acres in dead straight lines 1858 from ironbark slabs, still stoodriesling. As so often, when apparently ten feet apart and nine-tenths of a mile in – as it does today. Simon accuratelySimon could find nothing complimentary length”. The advantage of this, explained wrote that it was “one of the all tooto say, he made no comment at all Simon, was that “cultivators and tractors rare mementoes of the past”. He mustabout either the wines’ quality or their at different times of the year, and five- have known about the disregard for itsnomenclature. But he made some ton collecting lorries at vintage time, winegrowing history displayed in manyobservations about the last red wine waste no time in turning and backing”. Australian vineyards. Tyrrell presentedmade at Minchinbury, another Penfoldproperty. From the 1958 vintage, it was, Simon was forthright in his condemnation:according to Simon, a “big wine” made “they speak for themselves and have little to say”.from equal amounts of cabernet andshiraz (which he usually called syrah), The vines had previously been only five three white wines, all made in March fromand which “had lived through five sunny feet apart, sufficient for horses but not semillon of the 1963 vintage, and bottledsummers without flinching”. for mechanisation. Simon thought the in June. They were in the manner of the vineyard “a truly impressive sight”. day labelled as chablis, riesling and Later, with lunch of barbecued steak white burgundy. Simon was forthrightand sausages the men drank two more That evening they stayed at a motel in his condemnation: “they speak forPenfold reds, which Simon called in Singleton, where they ate a “picnic themselves and have little to say”.commercial blends of shiraz “and other meal”, with two Dalwood white wines, a The four men then tasted the differentblack grapes, which are marketed 1961 riesling and a 1958 chablis, as well foudres (large wine casks) in which theas Grange Hermitage and Burgundy as a white from Minchinbury, marketed red wine made each day during therespectively”. He was not impressed: as traminer – not the same as the last vintage “spends his nursery daysthe wines had “more muscle than grace, famous yrameah, a blend of riesling and and becomes fit to be bottled. All thewhich happens to be, I was told, what the traminer. The red wines served with the children in Mr. Tyrrell’s ‘nursery’ have aaverage Australian expects and likes, cheese were both from Hardy in South personality of their own, all of them fairwhen he forsakes his beer for a bottle of Australia: a 1952 Cabinet Claret, a blend enough, bar one black sheep which Mr.wine”. This plea for lighter, more elegant based on South Australian and Hunter Tyrrell, however, still hoped to reform”.reds in Australia was one which Simon Valley fruit, which Simon observed It seems that Simon was trying to find– and many others before and since – “had shed most of its tannin and was something polite to say: “It was, ofargued strongly and often. He does not quite pleasant”. The other wine Simon course, the first summer that those redtell us what vintages the two wines were. described as a 1957 Tintara Cabernet wines had spent under the Tyrrell tin roof,Nor does he tell us at what temperature Sauvignon, which may possibly have and the heat was fairly trying” for boththe wines were served: it was a hot day been the classic 1957 Hardy’s Reserve Simon and the wines.in the Hunter. In Melbourne some days Bin C24 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blendearlier Simon had tasted a 1955 Grange24 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

Great wines Crafted from great vineyards2012 Leconfield Coonawarra Merlot Wine State 2013 Wine of the Year Finalist facebook.com/leconfieldwines [email protected] www.leconfieldwines.com

A STEP BACK IN TIME History has blurred borders and blended wines in Italy’s north.

ANDRE PRETORIUS cliffs of the Dolomite range. Its range of The Gewurztraminer Kleinstein, with its wines extends across the international – characteristic hints of Turkish delight andWAS IT AMBIGUITY that hung over chardonnay and merlot – to the quixotically spice may not have been the grandest of local – sweet red moscato and the red wines, but it did exude the confidence ofour afternoon stroll? Or duality? We were curiosity of lagrein. being on its home turf: only 20 minutesin a northern Italian town – Bolzano – but south of Bolzano down the A22 motorway,we were also in an Austro-German town – Their labels, like the street signs, are the town of Tramin is the national cradleBozen. Around us we heard a smattering resolutely bilingual: these wines are both of this variety.of Italian, but mainly German and at one from Alto Adige and Sudtirol – the samepoint my linguist wife, Theresa, detected region, by different names. And, lest you The reds were another matter. Alto Adigea couple of teenagers speaking Ladin, a should be unfamiliar with the grape variety is not renowned, in the first place, for its redRhaeto-Romance language spoken in these of weissburgunder, the label will reveal wines – the climate is too cold, the altitudeparts. Our stroll to the Cantina Bolzano (or its alter ego as the possibly more familiar too high, the latitude too northern, say thosewas it the Kellerei Bozen?) took us across the pinot bianco. who know. Perhaps for those reasons,River Adige, past Mussolini’s Gate of Victory the pinot nero was the most pleasant ofmonument and down the Corso della Liberta We passed on Cantina Bolzano’s entry the four reds: in its intensity of red berrya boulevard that commemorates Italian level wines – we had with us a three-month- fruits, it recalled New Zealand more than“liberation” from Austrian “domination”. old whose tolerance for his parents’ vinuous Burgundy. The lagrein, said the lady ofBut around us the rising foothills of the loves was still developing – and sampled the tasting room, was the most emblematicDolomites, clothed in vines and crowned their range of reserve wines – four white, red of the region – a grape grown prettywith churches, castles and monasteries, four red, two sweet. much only here and one of the reasons forrecalled a verdant Austrian landscape, the existence of the Cantina Bolzano. Itsrather than the Italian land of cypresses and Our hostess – an earthy, passionate intense dark ruby certainly promised muchterracotta to the south. sort – got her excuses in early: these 2010 in the glass, but it flattered to deceive: on wines had only just been released and the nose and on the tongue it was thin, Constitutionally, this was undoubtedly were probably still far too young to enjoy, acidic and devoid of structure.part of the Italian Republic, but it has she said. But she need not have protestedbeen so for less than a century: until the so much, at least not when it came to the The cabernet-based blend and singlevictorious powers dismembered the Austro- whites: the varietal weissburgunder/pinot variety merlot had similar shortcomings –Hungarian empire at the end of World War blanc, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and herbal reds unable to match the style andI. In 1918 this mountainous land was part gewurztraminer had much to commend them. elegance of the whites. Bolzano is the lastof Austria. And a century has not been long major town before you reach the Brennerenough to excise the Germanic culture The Sauvignon Mock (each wine is named Pass, the lowest of the historic mountainfrom these valleys – Mussolini’s efforts at after a particular vineyard or grower and passes that link northern and southerncultural suppression notwithstanding – so “Mock” is the reserve sauvignon) was a Europe through the Alps, and white grapesthat culturally this is a rich blend of the Latin wonderfully complex, structured white had clearly found these pre-alpine valleysand the Germanic. with so much un-sauvignon-like body that more agreeable than red. it wrongly suggested something other than The same, it transpired, applied to the stainless steel in its vinification. Finally there were the Cantina’s two dessertCantina Bolzano and its wines. We found it wines, made in a passito style: the grapes areat the far end of the Piazza Gries. It was late left on the vine until the dark days of NovemberSeptember and the middle of the harvest, to achieve maximum ripeness before beingso the yard and winery were animated harvested. After the harvest they are left towith the activity of the season – like the wind-dry until March before being pressed.destemmer exhaling its green-and-purple The result are two intensely flavoured wines:pulp – and cloaked in that evocative smell the red Moscato Rosa was a bit too much likeof newly-crushed and fermenting grapes. red grape juice with a kick for my liking, but the white Moscato Giallo was lovely and crisp, The Cantina was created from the merger with the weight of concentration resulting fromof two local co-operatives, the Kellerei its raisin-like origin.Gries and Cantina St. Magdalena. Its200 members own 300ha of those vine- Above: Fifteenth century harvest: October from theclad slopes from which rise the granite Cycle of the Months in the Torre Aquila in Trento. Opposite: Dolomite peaks: the granite of Sassolungo. Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 27

AND IN ALTOADIGE, AS INALSACE, THE ROOTSOF WINEMAKINGGROW BACK INTOTHE MISTS OF TIME. Revisiting that unusual sauvignon blanc It did not matter whether this wine was – toll road, free road, railway and river –just before the stickies, we decided dinner from Alto Adige or Sudtirol, or whether it entwined on the floor of the valley and youwould definitely require a local white. At was called pinot bianco, pinot blanc or will come to Trento, one of those small ItalianBlue Moon restaurant back in the centre of weissburgunder: it was a fine drink. In fact, cities which still luxuriates in the legacy ofBolzano, there was a slight hitch: the wine although the Alto Adige is less exalted than some long-forgotten prelate or potentate, inlist – mercifully the list itself, rather than its other Italian regions – Chianti, Barolo, to this case the Prince Bishops who occupiedcontents – had suffered a downpour and name but two – it reminded me of another the Castello di Buonconsiglio. Trento waswas being redone. So which aromatic white frontier wine region perched between two once the centre of the known universe: inwould our charming waitress recommend? states where it has violently changed hands 1545, pope Paul III convened the CouncilWell, did I want to pick from the cellar for throughout history: Alsace. There, too, the of Trent here; it met until 1563 to formulatemyself, she offered? So off I went, down two wines are white, delicate and aromatic; the response of the Catholic Church tostoreys of bleak stairs through the messy there, too, history has cast a duality upon Luther and Protestantism. By the time of theinnards of the building, to the walk-in fridge. the land, leaving German-sounding names Great War, it stood on the front line betweenWhat it lacked in style, was compensated for in French passports. Italy and Austria: at the Castello there is ain content: a compendium of the aromatic memorial to some Italian nationalist whowhites – gewurztraminer, pinot grigio, And in Alto Adige, as in Alsace, the roots deserted from the Austrian army to raise thelugana, riesling – in which north-eastern Italy of winemaking grow back into the mists of flag of liberty and was executed outside itsexcels, with some eminent foreign visitors, time. Head south from Bolzano, tracking the walls in 1916.chief among them chardonnay. parallel routes of four means of transport At my waitress’s suggestion I plumped forthe Sanct Valentin Pinot Grigio from her villageof St. Michael-Eppam in the Caldaro area –as its name suggests, the area comprisesthe cone of an extinct volcano. It proved aninspired recommendation to accompanyour fish dishes: it was rich and full-bodied,a structured, aromatic white full of tropicalflavours like pineapple. In short, it was the veryantithesis of thin, sour pub pinot grigio whichhas given the variety a bad name.28 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

We ended up sipping a glass of spumante master’s depiction of October – the heart of abundance. Finally, a formally clad manat a local food fair near the Castello, but it the northern autumn – stands revealed the with a red beret suggesting officialdomfailed to sparkle. It would be rash to dismiss ancient roots of the culture of the vine in this is being offered a taste from a vat ofan entire style of wine on the basis of a region. On a slope outside a castle, neat fermenting must: he is clearly an officialsample size of one, but this resembled vine rows are heavy with bunches of white inspector of quality or a collector of excisenothing more than a bitter carbonated drink grapes. Six grape pickers are toiling among duty and he must be the first wine officialand inspired none of the sense of elegance the vines to bring in the harvest and under depicted in world art.and la dolce vita that comes from a decent a thatched pergola at the end of the fieldglass of prosecco, that other sparkler from two others are operating an old-fashioned A region, then, with a long and proudsoutheast of here in the Veneto. wine press from which a steady stream of history of men and women working the white grape juice is pouring. Perhaps in vines and enjoying the fruits of their toil. Long before world wars and nationalist an early instance of separate vinification, a How lucky are we who can come here anduprisings around Trento – some time picker is emptying his rucksack of grapes share in the pleasure – like those elegantbefore 1407 – the Prince Bishop had into a different wooden vat where another ladies and gentlemen in the picture fromcommissioned the decoration of room man appears to be manually crushing the c.1400 – without the toil of those figuresin the Castello’s Tore Aquila, or Eagle grapes. In the foreground, away from the among the vines on the slope.Tower. An unknown artist created a series toil of the vineyard, a quartet of aristocratsof 12 frescoed panels each representing is enjoying themselves in the scene of Left: The Piazza Duomo in Trento: Neptune brandishesa month of the year. In the anonymous his trident in the shadow of Trento cathedral. Right: The roofs of Trento in the valley of the Adige from the Castello di Buonconsiglio. Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 29

PIONEER WITH A PASSION FOR WINENOWHERE IN ASIA is the wine ONE WOMAN STANDS think seriously about wine and it became very much a part of her life after that.culture as firmly entrenched as it is in ABOVE ALL OTHERS FORJapan. There is a 150-year history of She says now that drinking wine enableddomestic wine production and, until it was HER LIFE-LONG WORK her to see broad global horizons. She wasvery recently matched by China, Japan had avidly attracted by the number of countriesbeen far and away the largest market for IN FOSTERING JAPAN’S producing wines, the regions within theseimported wine in Asia. countries producing quite distinct styles and WINE CULTURE. yet another tier with different grape varieties. Imported wine had been making its She said she started taking notes on theway to Japan in small quantities from DENIS GASTIN wines she was discovering and then setthe time that sea links with Europe were out to teach herself the finer points of winere-opened in the mid 19th century. translated some important global wine texts appreciation through extensive reading ofBut the big surge in imports came in into Japanese so local wine lovers could books and as much international travel asthe mid 1980s when Japan’s post-war access them more easily. she could manage.industrialisation was peaking and thesurging yen was making imported wine Arisaka-san began life with a very broad On a visit to California her brother urgeda reasonable consumption choice for outlook on life and has been intent on her to go to the Napa Valley to broadenincreasingly outward-looking consumers. broadening it further in every possible way her focus beyond the Japanese, FrenchBeing Japan, a country obsessed with through her work in wine. She was born in and German wines that she had beendetail, this spawned a league of wine Manchuria, in 1938, where her grandfather confined to until then, and she says shelovers seeking a depth of understanding had run a power station near the Manchuria/ was delighted by the totally new spectrumof this new cultural tweak, wanting to go China border. They survived the war and of New World wine.well beyond just drinking and enjoying returned to Japan in 1944 where she startedwines to encourage and entrench an school. Her father was a mining engineer Not long after this she took a deliberateenduring wine culture in Japan. and visited Australia many times. Her mother career turn to get closer to wine. She wrote to was a traditional Haiku opera singer. So it a department store to see if they might have Fumiko Arisaka was one of these people wasn’t surprising that the next generation a job in wine and was, instead, referred onand is now widely regarded as one of would be creative and outward looking. to Mercian Corporation, one of the leadingthe most distinguished and influential of beverage companies in Japan with aJapan’s legendary wine culture pioneers. In Her brother moved to the US and lived domestic winery and a growing involvementApril 1980, when the wine boom was in its in California for 30 years. She went to in international wine import and distribution.very early days, she launched Vinotheque university in Japan to study broadcasting Drawing on skills acquired in the advertisingmagazine. It was Japan’s, and Asia’s, first and, in 1963, began a copywriting career agency and the media she began conductingspecialist wine magazine, and is published with an advertising agency, then did a wine education activities and wine tastingsmonthly. Throughout its three-decade radio program from 1966 until 1971. This all for Mercian, and began to save money sohistory it has deliberately sought to present added to her ingrained attraction to things she could deepen her understanding andwines to its readership with informative international and a determination to see appreciation of wine by spending more timedepth, revealing the people and the stories the world. Her first international adventure in wine producing countries.behind the wines, rather than just simple was a year in the US in 1969. During a visitdescriptions, award listings and points. In to London in the early 1970s she started to Left: Arisaka-san in Manchuria as a young girl.the years since then, Arisaka-san has also Right: Arisaka-san with her Grandmother,authored several books on wine and has Shizuko Takeuchi, as her 1st grand child, in 1939. Opposite: Flying in a helicopter as a DJ for TBS Radio in the late 1960s.30 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 31

In 1973 she went to France, for some first- Over three decades she has made a majorhand experience in the industry, spending commitment to understand Australianthree months travelling around Bordeaux, the wine and to share that understanding withRhone Valley, Burgundy and Champagne. In Japanese consumers and the trade.1974 she returned to Bordeaux to do a shortcourse in French so that she could make By the time I discovered Vinotheque in Trade and Industry (MITI) to providemore sense of the wine conversations she early 1985 when assigned to Tokyo as the specialist industry and marketwas able to have when touring around the Australia’s Senior Trade Commissioner, expertise for this bold project - throughlocal chateaux. She later went to a German there was no doubt that it was the most which, incidentally, we ended up morewine school to do a short course. authoritative tool in the marketplace to than doubling Australia’s share of the convince customers and the trade on imported wine market, until it tumbled Her work with Mercian continued until 1979 any wine proposition, and that Arisaka- down after Austrian wines were foundand included annual visits to Europe to write san was one of the most influential to be contaminated with diethylenereports for the company and for their customer identities in the sector. We had seized glycol (anti-freeze), used as an artificialbase. Her long-term goal, though, was to the opportunity for Australian wine to be thickener in dessert wines, and the tradehave an independent career in wine so she the very first commodity in the Japanese began to confuse Austria and Australia.began work on the wine magazine concept, government’s Specific Products Tradecanvassed local wine lovers for commitments Expansion Program (STEP), through When we were speaking recently inas subscribers and was bold enough to which it was seeking to counter intense Tokyo, I asked her what lies ahead forlaunch the inaugural edition of Vinotheque in trade policy pressure from the US and her after such an active and distinguished1980. The initial subscription base was just the European Union by demonstrating life in wine. In response, she asked me300 and she says people were speculating that its domestic market was indeed if I could remember the T-shirt she wasthat it might last only three or four editions open to imports. Arisaka-san was wearing the previous time we met at anbefore crashing. But with enticing editorial appointed by the Ministry of International Australian wine promotion event in Tokyocontent she was able to generate modest last year. I did remember: it said “My Lifesubscription growth, began to get advertisingsupport and then started selling the magazineto the public through the increasing numberof wine stores that began opening as the1980s progressed, and it became a viableproposition on an ongoing basis.32 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

Which No One Can Imitate”. She said it Japan Wine Challenge and an Advisor first-ever presentation of Australian wineis wine that has made her life unique and to the Tokyo Wine Academy. She is the with Japanese food to more than 200she wants to continue working with wine president of Riesling-Ring, an initiative local sommeliers and restaurateurs atas long as possible, adding “if I didn’t to promote riesling wines in Japan, a the grand Palace Hotel in 1985, shefind wine, it would have been a sad life strong personal interest on the basis has visited several times to add to herfor me”. “Because of wine,” she said, “it that riesling accompanies Japanese understanding and has been a judgehas been an active, interesting and very food so well. In another sphere, she at the Sydney Wine Show (in the earlygood life: there are so many great wines in has, for over 20 years, been convening 1990s). On the 25th anniversary of thethe world and I am always thinking about and managing the quarterly tasting that landmark Australian wine/Japanese foodthe wine in front of me because every selects all wines served on the national event she co-chaired a re-run of thewine has something about it that will be carrier, Japan Airlines. concept for more than 150 media andinteresting, there are people and a story wine trade identities and wine lovers atbehind all wines.” And she continues her work in an ever- the Westin Hotel in Tokyo, as reported in broadening global context, particularly the May/June 2010 edition of Winestate. In 2003 she decided to step back from as a senior judge in international winethe day-to-day operations at Vinotheque competitions. Over the years this has Wine Australia has awarded Arisaka-and to bring into the business as an equity included wine competitions in France, san its A+ Honorary Specialist statusstakeholder and director another one of Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, “for her contribution, as Japan’s leadingJapan’s wine trailblazers, sommelier and Canada, Chile, Argentina, Hong Kong wine journalist, to fostering the mutualwine critic Shinya Tasaki, the very first and Australia. On the basis of this work relationships between the wine industriesnon-European to win the title of World’s she confidently declares that “the quality of Australia and Japan through variousBest Sommelier (in 1995). Editor-in- of wines I am seeing now might be the educational and promotional initiativesChief Setsuko Yoshida was also given best I have seen in my life and I would over the years as well as friendship withan equity stake. This move has enabled like to send my big thanks to all producers Australia’s wine community”.her to become more deeply involved in in the world”.a broader range of wine activities, most Left to right: Arisaka-san as co-chair of the 25thon a voluntary basis. She was one of Over three decades she has made anniversary re-run of the presentation of Australianthe founders of the Japan Wine Society, a major commitment to understand wine with traditional Japanese food in 2010.the oldest and most respected wine Australian wine and to share that Arisaka-san and Denis Gaston (and others) at aclub in Japan, and is the longstanding understanding with Japanese consumers tasting of premium Aussie wines at the Vin sur Vinchairwoman. She is vice chair of the and the trade. Following her work on wine boutique in Toranomon district, Tokyo. Her T-shirt the STEP program, which included the reads \"My Life Which No One Can Imitate\". Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 33

EXHIBITION COM2014V I N I TA LY. A Worldwide PassionVERONA APRIL 06-09 2014VINITALY 48th EDITIONGRAND TASTING together with organized byPremier Event at VinitalyVERONA, APRIL 05 2014Palazzo della Gran Guardiaoperawine.it

Wine of the Year Winner Photography by Orange Lane Studios. WINE OF THE YEAR SPECIAL AWARDS FEATURE 2013 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.

THE JUDGINGEVALUATING THE ELITETHIS IS ALWAYS THE MOST Tastings, either varietals, from anywhere our favourite wine to drink. There was lotsEXCITING TIME OF THE YEAR FOR (such as chardonnay) or blends (such as of discussion, but general agreement about fortifieds), but this time wines are judged the top two wines. In all, our Top Five winnersall of us here at Winestate, with the within price categories. in each category are fantastic wines and wellculmination of our year’s work coming worth searching out. We congratulate thoseto a peak. At this time we gather all the This year over 350 wines were re-judged winemakers who managed to get their winesfour-and-a-half and five-star wines judged over two days from 14 categories. These into this elite group.throughout the year and put them up for re- included, Sparkling Wine, Sauvignonjudging in what is effectively a gold medal Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Riesling, Also, my grateful thanks to the amazingtrophy tasting. (We include the four-and- Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, judges who were involved in the manya-half-star wines in the mix as well as the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sweet and varied panels who collectively judgedfives because wine judging is not an exact Whites, Fortifieds and this year (through over 11,000 of their fellow peers’ winesscience. As we have learned, a tough panel popular demand) we bring back the this year. An amazing contribution that wemay award the former star rating and a Alternative White Varietals & Blends, and should all recognise.more generous panel the latter). The most the Alternative Red Varietals & Blends.important thing to remember is that all our Well done for another year!wines are judged blind by three judges For our expert panel this year we hadwho are presented the wines in anonymous regular Chairman of Judges, Stephen Cheersglasses. In this way we believe a more John, from Stephen John Wines; Jenicredible rating is achieved. Port, Chief Wine Writer for the Melbourne Peter Simic Age and myself, Chairman and Founder Editor/Publisher Throughout the year we judge wines across of Winestate magazine (and Wine & Spirita number of formats and categories; about 75 magazine in the US).per cent in Australia and about 25 per centin New Zealand, led by our formidable Kiwi The judge’s task was to select the TopEditor, Michael Cooper. Wines can be judged Five wines from each category, includingas New Releases, where they are judged in the winner, then the Wine of the Year andvarietal or blend categories, irregardless of Runner Up, by bringing all 14 Categoryprice; Regional Tastings, where 85 per cent Winners back together again. As you canof the fruit has to come from the region, and imagine this was a most enjoyable task.again, they are judged in varietal or blend The criteria for our best wine was to choosecategories; and finally what we call Style which wine stood out among its peers within its group rather than necessarily picking outPeter Simic Jeni Port JUDGES Winestate Magazine would like to take this opportunity to thank our major sponsors for Stephen John their ongoing support · Amorin Cork · Adelaide Convention Centre · Italian Chamber of Commerce · Pellenc · Kennards Wine Storage · Champion Travel · Classic Oak · Get Wines Direct · Transtherm · Amcor Glass · Mainfreight · Bang Group · Cotter House · Donaldson Walsh Lawyers36 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

CHAIRMAN’S THE CLASSES COMMENTS IN BRIEF PINOT NOIR The largest class of pinots we have had in the taste off. Many fantastic wines of great interest and style. A very tough job to award only five wines out of this group. The feature of the top wines were bright colours, obvious varietal fruit, controlled fermentation techniques, subtle oak and excellent texture. Unfortunately many of the 2010 wines were showing premature age.SPARKLING between Australia and New Zealand. MERLOT Several wines showing obvious botrytis,Top wine showing elegance, structure, phenolics with a sweet/sour palate, which A very small class of very impressive wines.complexity with emerging yeast autolysis, masks the true fruit. Top award is an excellent expression of thewhich would place this wine very favourably variety, with brightness of fruit, structure,on the world stage. Other wines of excellent SEMILLON stylish oak, softness and length.quality showing varying styles from alertaperitif styles to broader varietal wines, all Always an exciting class to judge. Top wine CABERNET SAUVIGNONhaving commendable assets in their own is an outstanding, aged semillon belying itsrights. Three sparkling reds in the mix of age - “2004” - still fresh and vibrant, with Another class of excellent wines. Againdifferent genres, without having the class excellent flavours and structure. Three other we had a unanimous top award, whichof the top sparkling whites. place getters all with significant age and one showed all of the attributes of a top quality outstanding youngster. A pleasure to judge. cabernet, being distinctly varietal, withALTERNATIVE WHITES excellent depth of structure, great oak CHARDONNAY integration and length. The other fourTop wine a classic Australian marsanne placings were very keenly contested bywith maturity and freshness. Very exciting to A very big class for the final judging. We many excellent wines.see the likes of fiano, albarino and viognier were expecting many great wines butvying for top place. were disappointed at the small number of SHIRAZ outstanding wines. Award winners werePINOT GRIS/GRIGIO very classy, displaying complexity of An outstanding and challenging class to controlled MLF, excellent oak and lovely judge with a big percentage of top classA small class of very good commercial texture. Too many wines showed poor oak wines. The top award was unanimous instyles. Top wine captures true varietal handling, overt MLF bi-products and an its selection. A truly great wine in everyfruit, balance and texture. Unbalanced alarming number of wines with excess respect. The 2010 vintage shone through,sweetness was the main criticism. sugar, which we did not believe is in producing the top three awards with many keeping with oaked chardonnay. more in early contention. The wines fromSAUVIGNON BLANC the 2012 vintage are also outstanding, with ALTERNATIVE REDS many not achieving top status due to theirExcellent class of diverse and interesting youthful exuberance.styles. Top wine is a benchmark wine for A new class due to the ever-emergingthe style, showing intensity of pure fruit alternative varietals on the market. SWEET WHITESand depth of flavour. One outstanding fumé We were presented with 21 winesblanc in the top five. representing 10 different varieties and A small group of luscious wines, dominated they did not disappoint. There were some by riesling in number, however out-pointed byRIESLING very exciting, well-made wines with true a beautiful botrytised semillon for top position. varietal expressions. The winning wine,A great class of top wines resulting in malbec, was a clear winner due to its FORTIFIEDmuch discussion as to place getters. overall structure and polish. It is alsoTop wine was a unanimous decision, pleasing to see grenache being treated A class of Australian icons dominated by winesshowing all of the attributes expected with the respect it deserves. of incredible age, freshness, concentrationfrom this variety. There is obviously a very and passion by the custodian winemakers.divergent approach to riesling productionW I N E S TAT E - W I N E O F T H E Y E A R A W A R D S*All technical details for the Wine of the Year Special Feature are supplied directly from each winery. Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 37

DEONNV’ITRSOCNRMEWETNHTE!An independent Life Cycle Analysis of closures proves that theenvironmental virtues of cork significantly outweigh all alternativeclosures. To find out more, talk to the experts at Amorim.www.amorimcork.com.au

SPARKLING of the yearwine of the year RUNNER-UP WIN NER THE AMORIM CORK TROPHY Coldstream Hills Yarra Valley Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2009 WINEMAKER: Andrew Fleming. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Pale straw in colour. Fine and restrained, with attractive notes of lemon and green apple. The pinot noir component lends itself to hints of floral nuances and musk perfume. The bouquet is further enhanced by delicate yeast autolysis notes of biscuit and toast. The palate is fine and long, with texture, complexity and fresh apple, and chalky-like acidity. FOOD SUGGESTIONS: This wine is a fine aperitif style and would be a perfect accompaniment for canapes and freshly shucked oysters. CELLARING: Peak drinking now to 2017. VITICULTURE: Adequate spring rainfall, low to average yields and a relatively cool start to summer gave real promise to an outstanding vintage. As has been well documented, little to any effective rain fell in January and February, and combined with five days of extreme heat, the region tragically experienced the worst bushfires in living memory. Interestingly, the climate data has shown that despite the heat extremes, it was overall a mild season and this has been reflected by the high natural acidities in the wines. VINIFICATION & MATURATION: This wine underwent secondary fermentation using the traditional method and spent three years on yeast lees in bottle prior to disgorging. CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (08) 8568 7300 Web: www.tweglobal.com

W I N E S TAT E - W I N E O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D S SF I NPARKALING -LWINEIOFSTHE YETAR - 2S009 YELLOWGLEN PERLE BLUE PYRENEES MIDNIGHT SPARKLING PINOT NOIR CUVEE PYRENEES SPARKLING CHARDONNAY NV CHARDONNAY 2009 WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER: Trina Smith. Andrew Koerner. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Pale straw in colour with a delicate stream Brilliant green straw colour, with a fine of fine bubbles. Initially the wine shows bead of gentle bubbles. The aroma is biscuit and brioche characters derived delicate and complex, with the yeast from the maturation on yeast lees. This autolysis character of freshly baked leads into complex, floral scents and bread complimented by citrus fruits strawberry typical of pinot, followed by the and hazelnuts. Toasty baked yeast citrus chardonnay characters. Strawberry notes prevail over the bright grapefruit fruits are followed by slowly unfolding flavoured palate. A subtle lemon meringue flavours of toasted bread, grapefruit confectionary note also appears before and hazelnuts, with defining mineral a fine acid backbone and refreshing characters from the chardonnay. The effervescence cleanses the dry finish. palate is exceptionally long and persistent, CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: with a flowery, beautifully fresh finish. Phone: (03) 5465 1111 CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: E-mail: Jennifer.ganske Phone: (08) 8568 7300 @bluepyrenees.com.au Web: www.tweglobal.com Web: www.bluepyrenees.com.au40 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

HEEMSKERK COAL RIVER VALLEY COURABYRA 805SPARKLING CHARDONNAY TUMBARUMBA SPARKLINGPINOT NOIR 2008 PINOT NOIR CHARDONNAY PINOT MEUNIER 2001WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER:Charles Hargrave. Consultant winemaker.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:Palest straw, with a super fine bead. Medium straw with a fresh green/goldReminiscent of standing on a wild hue. Aged and complex, with charactersTasmanian beach in the depths of winter, of hazelnut, brioche, lanolin, toast, whiteit is icily refreshing with top notes of briney stone fruits and citrus oil. Elegant andsea spray, camomile and delicate apple complex, persistent flavours of epicureanblossom followed by earthy undertones notes, truffle and citrus. A solid, naturalof smokey sandalwood and fresh brioche. acid backbone, with a dry and crisp finish.Immediately Tasmanian in its intensity and CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:clarity; the wine tastes of salty oyster shell Phone: 0429 482 462and wet river stone at first, then follows E-mail: [email protected] to fruit flavours of quince and green Web: www.courabyrawines.comlemon over a delicate autolytic breadiness.CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:Phone: (08) 8568 7300Web: www.tweglobal.com Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 41



ALTERNATIVE WHITE of the year WIN NER THE ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE TROPHY Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2004 WINEMAKER: Alister Purbrick. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Pale straw in colour. A tightly woven nose and palate of lemon, ginger and citrus fruits, with background lime/ quince notes and a pronounced minerality; all reinforced by a tight acid, with a backbone supporting the expectation of further honeyed/marmalade development to come in the future. FOOD SUGGESTIONS: Seafood, rissotto, Asian-style. CELLARING: Remaining cellaring potential 8-plus years. VITICULTURE: Tahbilk is 7km from Nagambie in the Goulburn Valley of Central Victoria. The vineyards are grouped along the banks of the Goulburn River and a branch of it which flows through the property. The vineyards are at approximately 134m elevation, on both gently undulating and flat terrain. The estate has Marsanne vineyards dating from the 1920s through to the 1990s. The older blocks are hand-picked, while the younger ones are machine harvested from which very clean, sound fruit is produced. VINIFICATION & MATURATION: This release is sourced from vines planted on the estate in 1927, some of the oldest in the world. Matured in stainless steel, the grapes for this limited release are hand-picked early and made with a higher natural acidity level to support long term ageing. CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (03) 5794 2555 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.tahbilk.com.au

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 VILLA MARIA SINGLE VINEYARD HAND CRAFTED OMAHU GRAVELS VINEYARD BY GEOFF HARDY VIOGNIER 2010 ADELAIDE HILLS FIANO 2013 WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER: Nick Picone. Shane Harris. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Superb fruit, natural fermentation on solids Clear, pale lemon in colour. The nose in barrel and malolactic have resulted in an shows aromas of orange sherbet, rock intensely varietal and textured wine. This melon and sweeter apricot notes with a superb viognier displays hints of complex slight mineral under currant and aromas natural ferment-derived characters, of fresh river rock pebbles. The palate is including flint and clove, surrounded sensual and textured, and leaves a crisp by opulent layers of ripe apricot and acidic finish in your mouth. nutmeg spice. Lusciously textured and CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: concentrated in style, the wine will develop Phone: (08) 8383 2700 toasty complexity with bottle age. E-mail: [email protected]/ CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: [email protected] Phone: +64 9 255 0660 Web: www.handcraftedbygeoffhardy. E-mail: [email protected] com.au Web: www.villamaria.co.nz44 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

VILLA MARIA TAHBILK NAGAMBIE LAKESCELLAR SELECTION CENTRAL VICTORIAHAWKES BAY VIOGNIER 2011 MARSANNE 2012WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER:Nick Picone. Alister Purbrick.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:True to its variety, this wine is heady with Pale straw colour. The nose and palateexotic aromatics, featuring honeysuckle, of this varietal exhibit intense aromasrich apricot and nutmeg. The palate is of citrus, lemon, honey and peachunctuous and textured, unfolding layers supported by crisp, refreshing acidity onof rich fruit and complexing spice notes. the finish. Overtime this wine will developCONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: the familiar honeysuckle fragrance andPhone: +64 9 255 0660 complex toast and marmalade charactersE-mail: [email protected] traditionally associated with marsanne.Web: www.villamaria.co.nz CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (03) 5794 2555 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.tahbilk.com.au Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 45

Vinitaly 2014 – Verona, Italy, 6 - 9 April 2014

PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO of the year WIN NER THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MELBOURNE TROPHY Hawkshead Gibbston Central Otago Pinot Gris 2012 WINEMAKER: Dean Shaw. COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: The colour of this aromatic wine is in the pale white gold range and it displays intense perfumes of lime, peaches and fruit blossom. All the promise of the aroma is maintained on the elegant and minerally palate. It has a light texture and the finish is well balanced. This is a luscious pinot gris that will continue to grow in aromatic stature. FOOD SUGGESTIONS: An ideal match with Asian and Middle Eastern dishes. Also delightful with crayfish, crab, prawn and creamy seafood pasta dishes. CELLARING: 4 years. VITICULTURE: The grapes are harvested from a single block within the vineyard. They are intensively managed, hand tended and hand picked, and great care is taken to manage the crop weight to achieve the best fruit quality. VINIFICATION & MATURATION: The crushing process uses gentle whole bunch pressing and the juice is allowed to settle for 48 hours, followed by cool fermentation in stainless steel vats to preserve the natural vibrancy. Ageing on lees for six months follows to broaden the mid-palate weight and the final texture of the wine. The finished wine contains 13 per cent alcohol with just 3g/litre of residual sugar. CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: +64 2 154 1467 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.hawksheadwine.com

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 PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO - WINE OF THE YEAR - 2009 YEALANDS ESTATE SINGLE JOSEF CHROMY TASMANIA BLOCK R6 AWATERE VALLEY PINOT GRIS 2012 MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2012 WINEMAKER: Jeremy Dineen. WINEMAKER: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: Tamra Washington. Pale straw hues and a fragrant bouquet of COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: poached quince and ripe pear. The palate is Medium straw in colour. The nose is lifted, soft, rich and full, with complex cinnamon exuding notes of ripe yellow pear, exotic spice. This follows through to a juicy mid- fruits and a touch of spice. The palate is palate and a aromatic, long finish. textured and concentrated, with layers CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: of complexity yet finishes clean and dry, Phone: (03) 6335 8706 with the distinctive mineral acidity which E-mail: [email protected] is the hallmark of the Seaview vineyard. Web: www.josefchromy.com.au CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: +64 3 575 7618 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.yealands.co.nz48 W I N E S TAT E Special Edition 2013

STAETE LANDT MARLBOROUGH GREYSTONE SAND DOLLARPINOT GRIS 2011 WAIPARA VALLEY PINOT GRIS 2012WINEMAKER: WINEMAKER:Ruud Maasdam. Dominic Maxwell.COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE: COLOUR, BOUQUET, PALATE:Pale golden straw colour, it has a Light golden in colour, it has a complexdeliciously perfumed aroma of pear, vanilla nose which opens up considerably inpannacotta, orange blossom and apricot. the glass, showing stone fruit, honey,The palate is broad with tropical notes, dried pear, ginger and hints of lemonwhite peach and pear. This is made more curd. The palate shows hazelnut with richcomplex by the flavours of toffee, cinnamon honey characters. It is a dry wine with aand vanilla spice. Delicious now, it will long and refreshing finish.reward cellaring for up to 5 years. CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS:CONSUMER CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: + 64 0 314 6100Phone: +64 3 572 9886 E-mail: nik.mavromatis@E-mail: [email protected] greystonewines.co.nzWeb: www.staetelandt.co.nz Web: www.greystonewines.co.nz Special Edition 2013 W I N E S TAT E 49

nothing but the fruitWinery On-Board High-frequency linear destemmer and roller sorting table. Gentle motion keeps stalks and berries intact, unlike traditional rotary destemmers. Straight to the fermenter or press! Removes more than 95 % of Petioles, MOG and green waste *Available in 3 models to suit all winery sizes and sorting requirements. www.pellenc.com.auFor more information contact:Pellenc Australia 14 Opala St, Regency Park SA 5010P| 08 8244 7700 F| 08 8244 7788 E| [email protected]