july/august 2014 WINESTATE VOL 37 ISSUE 4 CABERNET & Bordeaux McLAREN VALE FLEURIEU PENINSULA & surrounds clare valley TASMANIA SOUTH ISLAND, NZ print post approved 100003663 THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO WINE SINCE 1978 Over 10,000 tasted annually AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND WINE BUYING GUIDE CLASSIC NEW TASTING CABERNET & BORDEAUX ORGANIC WINES 385BLENDS 96TA S T E D TASTED July/August 2014 Vol 37 Issue 4 $9.95 AUS (inc GST) 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 ZAR 150 plus Clare Valley • McLaren Vale • Fleurieu Peninsula & Surrounds Tasmania • Organic Wines • Merlot • South Island (NZ)
CANBERRA RINITEERSNLATIIONNGAL CHALLENGE 13-18 October 2014ATTENTION Past recipients -RIESLING 2003 Guenter Prass AMLOVERS: 2004 Clare Valley Winemakers AssociationNominations sought for Peter Lehmann AM 2005 Brian Barry OAMWolf Blass Award Wendy StuckeyThis award seeks to recognise 2006 Ken Helm AMa person or organisation from 2007 John Vickery OAMAustralia or New Zealand who 2008 Louisa Rosehas made a major contribution 2009 Andrew Hoodto the development and 2010 Jeffrey Grossetpromotion of Riesling. 2011 Nick WalkerThe winner will be invited David O’Learyto attend the Canberra 2012 Brian Croser AOInternational Riesling 2013-2014 Now awarded bi-annuallyChallenge Awards Event onFriday the 17 October, staying Nominations close Friday 12 September 2014 and areovernight at the Hyatt Hotel to be on the official nomination form available from:Canberra as a guest of theWolf Blass Foundation. Canberra International Riesling Challenge PO Box 241, Deakin West, ACT 2600 Tel: +61 2 6290 1505 Fax: +61 2 6290 1580 E-mail: [email protected] www.rieslingchallenge.com
No.263 JULY/AUGUST 2014Editor & Publisher Peter Simic E-mail: [email protected] THE WOLF BLASS FOUNDATIONManaging Editor Lara Simic E-mail: [email protected] Established 1994NZ Editor Michael Cooper E-mail: [email protected] Michael BatesAdministration Vicki Bozsoki E-mail: [email protected] Designer Jasmine Holmes E-mail: [email protected] Manager Peter Jackson E-mail: [email protected] Coordinator Madeline Willoughby E-mail: [email protected] DAI Rubicon Winestate Web Site Justin Martin WINESTATE New Zealand AdministrationKay Morganty Phone: (09) 479 1253 E-mail: [email protected] South Wales Winsor Dobbin, Elisabeth King, Clive HartleySouth Australia Skye Murtagh, Joy Walterfang, Valmai Hankel, Nigel HopkinsVictoria Jeni Port, Hilary McNevinWestern Australia Mike Zekulich, Rod ProperjohnQueensland Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, Andrew Corrigan MW, Lizzie LoelNew Zealand Michael Cooper, Jane Skilton MWNational Travel Winsor DobbinUSA Gerald D. BoydEurope André Pretorius, Giorgio Fragiacomo, Sally Easton MWASIA Denis GastinADVERTISING SALESInternational and AustraliaPeter Jackson, Winestate PublicationsPhone: (08) 8357 9277 E-mail: [email protected] O’Reilly, Public Relations - [email protected] South WalesPearman MediaPhone: (02) 9929 3966QueenslandJaye Bradley Phone: (07) 3391 6633 E-mail: [email protected] ZealandDebbie Bowman – McKay & BowmanPhone: +64 9 419 0561 Email: [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.frDISTRIBUTORS Proudly SupportingAustralia •Australian Wine Education,Gordon and Gotch Australia P/L •Viticultural, OenologicalNew Zealand Research & Development,Gordon and Gotch New ZealandInternational •Wine & Health,DAI Rubicon •Global WineHong Kong & China Industry ProfileEverwise Wine LimitedUK phone +61 8 8232 5322Comag [email protected] DistributionUSASource Interlink InternationalWINESTATE is published seven times a year by WINESTATE PUBLISHING PTY LTD,81 King William Road, Unley SA 5061.Copyright 2014 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 July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 5
contentsJULY/AUGUST 2014feat u r es r eg u la r s26 SOUTHERN COMFORT 36 10 Briefs Marlborough might dominate the wine 17 Cooper’s Creed with Michael Cooper production force in New Zealand’s 18 European Report with Sally Easton South Island, but the smaller 20 Wine Tutor with Clive Hartley provinces of Nelson and Canterbury 22 Wine Travel with Elisabeth King have carved out enviable reputations. 24 Wine History with Valmai Hankel Michael Cooper writes that while 44 Grapevine Marlborough boasts the lion’s share 48 Wine Words of productive vines, the two satellite 55 Wine Investment & Collecting regions lay claim to many highly- regarded medium-sized producers.28 ANCIENT FIELDS PRODUCE 60 What’s it Worth?MODERN ‘MIRACLES’ 36 ISLAND VISION PAYS OFF 85 Subscription Form 154 AftertasteYou can trace their histories back South Australia’s Kangaroo Islandfor hundreds of years, but these two might be a long way off the world’sFrench wine estates still produce fine wine trail, but French winemakerwines. Andre Pretorius writes that Jacques Lurton has developed anfrom Bordeaux’s Chateau La Mission international market for his IslanderHaut-Brion and Chateau Haut-Brion Estate wines. And Nigel Hopkinssprings arguably some of the world’s reports that Lurton, a member ofgreatest wines. Bordeaux’s wine family “royalty”, has32 MOORILLA REDISCOVERS ITS very strong ideas on how to improve MAGIC Australia’s wine image.MONA casts a long shadow over 40 THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS southern Tasmanian tourism, butMoorilla Estate, established in Organic and biodynamic winesthe grounds of the art museum,is fighting back, writes Michael have not always enjoyed a glowingHince. Moorilla has reclaimed itsrightful place among the pantheon reputation, but they are now moving 40of modern-day Tasmanian premium from the fringes of the industry to thecool-climate wine producers andis tapping into the museum’s ever- mainstream, reports Dan Traucki. wine tastingsincreasing flow of tourists. So much so that Winestate has conducted its first organic tasting, 66 Clare Valley & Surrounding Regions and the results have been surprising. 70 Merlot & Other Bordeaux Varietals 42 RIDING THE TROPICAL WINE 74 Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends WAVE Bali is all about sun, sand and surf, 90 McLaren Vale and now you can add wine. Denis Gastin writes that life on the tropical 104 Fleurieu Peninsula and Surrounding Regions holiday island has taken a turn 110 Tasmania for the better with a fledgling wine 118 South Island, NZ industry starting to make waves. 122 Michael Cooper’s Recent Releases Over the past decade things have progressively improved for wine drinkers, initially with wine made from locally grown grapes and then from imported grape juice vinified locally. 127 Organic Wines, New Releases and Winestate Magazine Top 40 Best Buys under $20. Issue Number 263 For a complete list of what we tasted for this July/August 2014 issue please refer to www.winestate.com.au Cover photograph Orange Lane Studios.
The New Zealand International Wine Show, now in its 10th year, is rmly established as the largest wine competition held in New Zealand. Entry is open for wines from any country and made from any variety. In 2013 over 2000 entries were received with 201 gold medals awarded by the 24 senior wine judges. Again we are honoured to announce Master of Wine, Bob Campbell will be back leading his highly experienced judging team. Don't miss this excellent opportunity for your wines to win gold and qualify to be included in the judging for the prestigious international trophies. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: Friday 29 August 2014. For full competition terms and entry details or to enter on-line visit: www.nziws.co.nz NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL WINE SHOW 2014 AWARDING WINES OF THE WORLDPHASE3 - p1523
editorialTHIS ISSUE HAS NUMEROUS LESSONS THAT havecome through via our wine tastings; new releases, for the trend to tighter,leaner wine styles; organic wines for their vast jump in quality, cabernetand Bordeaux blends repeating what we found with new releases; and thedifferences we see between our warmer regions of McLaren Vale and Clare,and the cooler regions of Fleurieu Peninsula and even cooler Tasmania.First New Releases. It is fascinating to see how winemaking trends changeover the years. Our judging panel noticed in the tasting of our current newrelease wines a distinct trend to more mid-weight, vibrant styles with lessdominant oak and more upfront fruit character and zesty acidity. Gone werethe big blockbuster reds beloved of the South Australian regions aroundAdelaide. Of course we expect these styles from the cooler hills and valleysaround Australia, but from McLaren Vale and Barossa? Come on!This takes me back to the early eighties when imported wines were therage and winemakers fell for the show system which awarded gold medalsto 12 baume lean and green wines, many of which are still hard over 30years later. It is my view that winemakers are currently following a trendrather than doing what each region is good at.Of course in the eighties many of these lean wines were cabernets, which as a varietal often exhibit these charactersanyway, particularly when grown in cool-climate regions where ripening can be an issue. For our annual judging ofcabernet sauvignon wines we separated the so-called Bordeaux blend varietals of merlot, cabernet franc, malbecand petite verdot. As a blend with cabernet these make a tantalising mix but it is also interesting to see them aloneto show off their characteristics. And we included some of the world’s most famous first growths judged blind in ourprestige category.For our inaugural NASAA Organic wine tasting I have to say that it was a complete surprise, almost shock, to seethe overall quality level in this tasting, with over 70 per cent recommended, which is more than the majority of ourother tastings. While always supporting the growth of natural grape growing and the avoidance of chemicals in thevineyard, we were somewhat sceptical in the past of winemaking techniques that resulted in oxidised or volatile winesthat passed for organic. Ten years on and the change has been extraordinary. We may have in this tasting only seenthe professional or commercial (if that is not a contradiction in terms) wine producers with an organic passion, ratherthan the “hippy, feral farmer” view that has dogged the image of organics in the past. If so, that is a good thing. Herewe only care about the end product being of high quality that we can recommend to you, the consumer. And if it isorganic, so much the better! I have mentioned the climatic differences between McLaren Vale and the cooler, outlying regions around it ofLanghorne and Currency creeks, Southern Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island. In the past we judged these all togetheras Fleurieu Peninsula wines but this year we had enough wines to do two separate tastings, which offered a nicefocus on their separate characteristics. Interestingly, just like Barossa and Eden Valley, a judicious blending of fruitfrom both climes gives a bit of what each lacks; some acid and vibrancy for McLaren Vale, and some weight for theother cooler regions. Clare is its own stand-alone “boutique” wine region where B&B is the signature image of delightful hometownexperiences. Arguably Australia’s finest riesling maker, it also produces vibrant reds. Tassie continues to leap forwardwith hallmark sparklings and almost Germanic rieslings and Premier Cru standard pinots that give Burgundy a nudge.Meanwhile over in New Zealand, our Kiwi Editor, Michael Cooper, goes South to taste the smaller boutique regionsof Nelson, Canterbury/Otago and Waipara. This is New Zealand’s version of cool climate and one we always lookforward to. Look out for some great pinots, rieslings and pinot gris.Whatever your taste, there’s lots to like in this issue and a wine or two for you to choose.Cheers!Peter SimicEditor/Publisher July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 9
briefsEMBRACING WORLD OF WINE THE SECRET’S OUTWINE has not traditionally been a part of Thai cuisine culture, but it PERHAPS because it is tucked away in the sleepy town of Newis taken very seriously at the Mango Tree restaurants in Bangkok, Norfolk, the delightful Woodbridge on the Derwent boutique hotelwhere owner and celebrity Thai chef Pitaya Phanphensophon even remains something of a well-kept secret even to Tasmanians.has his own house wine made by a friend in France. The TV chef This heritage-listed property, a 30-minute drive from Hobart, is theand author, CEO of the Coca Group and founder of the Mango Tree only member of the Small Luxury Hotels group in Tasmania. It’s achain of restaurants, says that many of his guests appreciate being beautifully restored Georgian mansion set in lovely gardens aboveable to match wines with spicy Thai cuisine and he is proud to offer the fast-flowing Derwent River (well-heeled guests sometimes arrive“an extensive world wine list”. by seaplane, docking at the hotel’s own pontoon). Built by convicts in 1825, Woodbridge was originally the home of the new colony’s For those inexperienced with Thai flavours, the Mango Tree magistrate and is one of Australia’s oldest surviving buildings.restaurants make for an easy introduction, particularly the original Owners John and Laurelle Grimley bought the derelict property inrestaurant which has, you guessed it, a mango tree in the courtyard. 2003 and have done a magnificent refurbishment job. The roomsHere you'll find authentic but approachable dishes like watermelon vary in style but include all five-star accessories, including Moltonwith dried fish, lobster with lemon-grass, young coconut, chilli and & Brown toiletries, flat-screen TVs, free wi-fi, iPod docks, extremelytamarind, stir-fried sa-to (rice wine) with clams or even a green comfortable beds, modern bathrooms, in-room safes and minichicken curry, albeit made with home-made pastes and free-range bars with complimentary soft drinks. Guests are welcome to helppoultry. Thai-style tapas dishes have been added to the menu at the themselves to port and sherry in one of the three drawing rooms,OP Garden offshoot of Mango Tree; think dishes like sai oua (Northern and public areas are tastefully decorated with period pieces andThai sausage) or maybe moo ping jim jaew (grilled pork neck). individually sourced artworks. There are also lovely gardens. Several“Ten years ago Thais never drank wine,” says Mango Tree CEO featured packages involve tastings at nearby Redlands Estate whiskyTrevor Mackenzie. “Now everyone’s into it.” Mango Tree, incidentally, distillery. Woodbridge on the Derwent, 6 Bridge St, New Norfolk;is planning future restaurants in Sydney and the Gold Coast as part phone (03) 6261 5566. www.woodbridgenn.com.au.of a major international expansion. Mango Tree is at 37 Soi TantawanSurawongse Rd and Mango Tree OP Garden at Soi Charoenkrung THE SECRET’S OUT36, Charoenkrung Rd, both in Bangkok. www.coca.com/mangotree. COLLECTORS of fine and rare wines will be captivated by a newPASSING OF A ‘PIONEER’ range of fortified wines released by Seppeltsfield that have been “held in secret” by generations of winemakers at the historicTHE Tasmanian wine industry was saddened by the death of one Barossa Valley cellars. The Paramount Collection, utilising reserveof its great pioneers, Graham Wiltshire, in March. Wiltshire made a parcels dating back as far as 1922, features two Australian sherrysignificant contribution to the wine industry over his 40-plus years styles (now known as aperas), a tokay and a muscat. The parcelsof involvement, promoting both sparkling wine and pinot noir. A used in these blends were put away by winemakers over the yearsformer engineer who created the Heemskerk brand, Wiltshire and were not originally designed for sale, but have now been hand-was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2004 New Year’s bottled in very limited quantities. They include the DP898 AgedHonours List. Flor Apera, a semi-dry Amontillado style, and the DP 273 Rich Rare Apera, a semi-sweet Oloroso style, along with the DP64 Tokay and He planted the first vineyard in the Tamar Valley at Legana in DP Muscat, both made from Rutherglen fruit aged in the Barossa1966, the Heemskerk vineyard that is now known as Velo, and eight cellars. The new releases are collectors items with the two aperasyears later he was the first to establish a vineyard in the Pipers retailing for $499 and the tokay and muscat for $699, and all areBrook area. Pipers Brook and Tasmania generally have come to be sold in special presentation boxes. See www.seppeltsfield.com.au.recognised as one of Australia’s foremost sparkling wine regions. Seppeltsfield has a history dating back to 1851 and is also home A celebration of Wiltshire’s life was held at Velo Wines on March to the Centennial Collection – a lineage of Tawny of every vintage27 after he was privately cremated. He was 82. from 1878 to the current year. It is also the only winery in the world to release a 100-year-old single vintage wine each year.10 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
briefsBACK IN THE KITCHEN VALUE UP WHILE EXPORTS SLIPCHEF Mark McNamara is well known to many wine lovers and THE average value of wine exports continued to rise, while thegourmets after his several years at Appellation in the Barossa Valley total Australian wine exports declined in the 12 months endedand for curating the food offering at the Artisans of the Barossa cellar March 2014, Wine Australia announced. The average value ofdoor. Now McNamara has opened a new space for cooking classes exports increased by 1 per cent, while total Australian wine exportsin the Barossa under his Cooking Luddite label. declined by 6 per cent but there are signs that the downward trend in volumes is turning around. Wine Australia chief executive After more than 30 years as a professional chef, McNamara Andreas Clark said that while volume was declining at the lowerfavours time-honoured techniques over new technology and culinary end, increases in volume and value at the higher end showedgimmickry. His new Kitchen Studio at Greenock is designed to give the industry’s efforts to create interest in Australian wines at thevisitors a real food experience. “In essence it is all about home- higher end of the market were achieving cut-through. “While themade food,” he says. “We designed the Kitchen Studio to be a decline in the volume of Australian wine exports to many of ourwarm and inviting space, the perfect place to learn new skills and major markets is a concern, it is positive to see that the averagesharpen old ones.” value of Australian wine exports has increased in many of our key markets,” Clark said. The Food Luddite website, www.foodluddite.com, has a full list ofclasses and details on how to book.SHAPING A NEW FUTURE SOUND TASTETHE Champagne house of Bollinger has laid to rest the popular flute GRANT BURGE has launched a “Savour The Sound” campaign,wine glass in favour of a new shape. The glass, yet to be revealed, bringing music to the ears of wine drinkers. Burge has matchedis the brainchild of the Bollinger cellar master and a glassmaker 12 original music tracks from South Australian musicians to ninefrom Czechoslovakia, and will be more in the shape of a table wine Grant Burge Vineyard Series wines plus moscato, sparkling pinotglass with a bulbous middle tapering in towards the top. “We want noir, chardonnay NV and aged tawny. Consumers are encouragedto show the aromas,” explained Bollinger Commercial Director, to purchase the wine and download the 12 tracks free from theGuy de Rivoire, who was recently in Australia for the launch of custom-designed Savour The Sound micro site. Marketing Projectthe Bollinger R.D. (Recently Disgorged) 2002. “Champagne is a Manager at Grant Burge Wines, Stuart Barrie, said the projectfood wine, a serious food wine, and we want to show it off. This started a few years ago when the winemaking team decided tonew glass shape will allow the wine to breathe.” He dismissed any broaden their musical taste during vintage. “There’s always musicreturn to the coupe, the wide-mouthed glass popular in the 1940s playing somewhere in the vintage shed and winemaker Mattthrough to the ’70s which is regaining ground in many wine bars Pellew thought he’d try a range of styles and see if it influencedand restaurants across the world. “If you want to be fashionable the sensory appreciation of the wine,” Barrie said. “He found thatin France you have to serve your champagne in a coupe. But jazz and classical seemed to create a relaxed, focused and morethat’s not for us.” analytical mindset.”wine-ark FOR COLLECTORS OF FINE WINE Wine Ark Provenance Program 11 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 946 327 July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E
briefsVINTAGE VERSE STREETS AHEADTHE 2009 vintage of Henschke WINEMAKER and wine bar operator John Harris is set to developHill of Grace may well be the Australia’s first “urban vineyard” in the streets of Ballarat.first Australian wine with its The project has the green light from council and involves closingown poem. The Henschke streets to traffic in a busy block of the town’s centre, includingfamily has engaged the first part of the Midland Highway, and planting vines. Harris expectsof a series of Australians to to have his first vintage in 2015. “We expect the ideal growingcreate an annual narrative that conditions to produce bumper fruit from the word go,” he told thewill accompany each vintage Ballarat Courier newspaper, which ran the story as front-pageof Hill of Grace. The 2009, “‘a news. “The vineyard will be grown totally organically, and dwarfyear graced by resilience” sheep will roam the highway stretch, keeping grass and weedsis captured by poet Rupert under control and adding to the soil nutrients.” Harris, a formerMcCall, with a work named sparkling winemaker with Domaine Chandon and winemaker withThe Vines of Resilience. Each Mount Avoca Vineyard, moved back to his home town of Ballarat inbox of the wine will contain 2013 and opened the Mitchell Harris Wine Bar in Doveton St. Thea copy of this poem inside. new vineyard will be outside his front door, planted to chardonnay,According to winemaker pinot noir and shiraz. “The vineyard,” he suggests, “is unparalleledStephen Henschke and his in Australia, and perhaps the world.”viticulturist wife, Prue, this vintage has all the trademark elegance,intensity and finesse of a great Hill of Grace, with a significant ageing SHIRAZ IN THE SPOTLIGHTpotential of 20 years or longer. “This is a beautiful wine that may welloutlive its makers,” Stephen says. BRUCE TYRRELL believes the Hunter Valley has never been in a stronger position to promote its medium-bodied shiraz. Renowned for its provenance, Hill of Grace is one of Australia’s “With the vast increase in plantings in the ’70s and ’80s, welongest continuously produced single-vineyard, single varietal wines. saw a lot of young vine shiraz on the market that was proppedIt is handcrafted from one 4-ha site where the vines are now over up with American oak and really didn’t live very long in the150 years old. First created by Cyril Henschke as a house wine for bottle,” says the head of leading Hunter winery Tyrrell’s. “Thefamily and friends, Hill of Grace 2009 is the 52nd vintage. last 10 years, however, has seen a significant change in what we are doing shiraz-wise in the Hunter; wines that are much While 2009 was a season with some climatic variations such as heat cleaner and showing a pure expression of the uniqueness ofevents through January, the Hill of Grace vineyard was not affected the Hunter. On top of that is layered the unique characters ofand the resulting wine shows the remarkable resilience of ancient, dry- our special single vineyards. There are seven blocks of shirazgrown vines in withstanding and blossoming through conditions that in the Hunter over 100-years-old and as we have never hadcould be more challenging for young vines. “Henschke Hill of Grace phylloxera, so much of our shiraz material can be dated back2009 is an exceptional showcase of old vine complexity, character to the Busby collection which arrived in the mid-1830s. I believeand resilience, with all the benchmark characters of five spice, berry that over that time that these original vines have been mutatedfruit and layers of fine French oak, a deep, rich and textural palate and have become more suitable to our conditions in the Hunter.finishing with long, fine, velvety tannins,” Stephen Henschke says. Our shiraz is always medium bodied, with a reliance on fruitThe new-release Hill of Grace retails for $650, but more affordable and good natural pH and acid, rather than alcohol and tannin.wines under the Henschke label start from around $16. The great vineyards, in the great years, have always had the ability to live for a long time in the bottle and at the end of theSALES SECRETS day that is the one true indicator of great quality.\"A UNIVERSITY of Adelaide wine marketing researcher hasdiscovered what many of us already know. That wine retailersstock wine that will give them a good margin and restaurants buywine on taste and how well it complements food (those who buywine to sell to others). Dr Steve Goodman surveyed restaurateursand retailers in Australia, China and the US and consumers in 11countries. “Wine businesses need to understand their consumersand their customers (those who buy wine to sell to others),” he said.“At the end of the day, the majority of retail purchases are madebecause of what is available - someone may love your wine butif it’s not easy to source, they’re less likely to buy it.” In China, hefound consumers were motivated to buy by the brand of a wine,while in the US and Australia they were influenced by the grapevariety and where it was grown.12 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
briefsFITTING MEMORIAL TWEAKING THE LABELJACK MANN was appointed winemaker at THERE is a new look to one of Australia’s most iconic wine labelsHoughton in the Swan Valley, Western Australia, in - d’Arenberg’s red stripe. “It’s been quite some time since anyone1930 aged 24, taking over from his father, George. has dared to make changes to the famous label,” says marketingHe was responsible for a total of 51 Houghton executive Tash Stoodley. “So we are very proud to present the newvintages. Mann was the creator of Houghton face of The Originals, wines of long-standing provenance.” The rangeWhite Burgundy (now known as White Classic), dates back to 1960 when d’Arry Osborn first released “Burgundy”,a wine that became the flagship of the a shiraz/grenache blend. In 1993, this wine was renamed “d’Arry’sWestern Australian wine industry. He died in Original” to honour d’Arry’s half century of winemaking achievement,1989 at the age of 83 and was considered and to this day d’Arry’s Original remains a favourite in the d’Arenbergone of the most influential pioneers of the range, and ages as gracefully as the namesake patriarch himself.Western Australian wine industry. Today, his Stoodley says the new labels show subtle changes that are simplifiedgrandson, Rob Mann, is chief winemaker at and modernised, while paying homage to the history of the brand.Cape Mentelle in Margaret River. The firstHoughton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon, GOOD NEWSnamed in his honour, was released in1994 and quickly built a reputation as one THE Japan-Australia Economic Partnership is good news for theof Australia’s most collectible red wines. Australian wine industry. The elimination of the 15 per cent import tariffThese days the Jack Mann is made by Ross into Japan on Australian wine over the next seven years looks certainPamment, who is changing the style of the to lift sales and put Australia on a level playing field with Chile, onewine without affecting the quality. Pamment of its biggest competitors in the Japanese market. “Countries suchtold a function to launch the new-release as Chile have enjoyed significant increases in market share in Japan2011 Jack Mann that he was seeking to following finalisation of a similar trading agreement where they nowhave an increasingly “hands-off” approach sit second behind France,” said Winemakers’ Federation of Australiain the winery, with the new release among the president Tony D’Aloisio. Australia is the sixth largest exporter of winefirst produced using wild fermentation, utilising only indigenous to Japan. Australian winemakers are hopeful of a similar future tradeyeast and the addition of zero acid to the final blend. “Having seen agreement with China.the end result, which is the more textural aspect of the wines, wehaven’t looked back, and we are now extending this approach to PREPARE FOR ‘PAIN’our commercial ranges as well,” Pamment says. For the record,the 2011 Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon is only the 12th vintage MICHAEL CLARKE, the incoming president at Treasury Wineof this wine and is sourced exclusively from the Justin Vineyard in Estates has prepared the way for some painful blood letting,Frankland River. “2011 was an early ripening vintage with warmer admitting that there’s a lot that needs to be “fixed” with Australia’sand drier conditions than average,” says Pamment. “The selected biggest wine producer.parcels from Frankland River were picked at just the right moment, After taking on the role on March 31, Clarke has been studying theproducing some incredible fruit that will be a true tribute to Jack.” performance of the company in some depth and says it’s clear thatMeanwhile, Houghton remains best known for the Houghton White something has to be done to reduce overhead expenditure. IndustryClassic, a melange of many different white grape varieties. The 2013 commentators take that to mean that the sale of under-performingrelease is its 76th straight vintage and can be found on bottle shop vineyards and wine labels, as well as job losses are on the cards.shelves for between $13-$18. And the hardest hit is expected to be the company’s American outpost, Beringer, which has been suffering falling profitability.LOVE AFFAIR CONTINUESAUSTRALIANS love their bubbles. While the French market forchampagne is in decline, Australia is going from strength tostrength and in latest figures released now constitutes the sixthlargest champagne market in the world. According to the ComiteChampagne (CIVC), Australia imported 6.02 million bottles in 2013,an increase of 11.4 per cent over the previous year. Interestingly,champagne shipments within France fell 2.3 per cent or 167 millionbottles. In Australia, the bulk of sales are in non-vintage champagnefrom the big, recognised houses such as Moet et Chandon, Roedererand Veuve Clicquot. Grower Champagnes, the darlings of Australiansommeliers in search of something different to feature on their winelists, are also making headway with drinkers. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 13
briefsBID FOR REGIONAL PRODUCERECOGNITION A NEW winery eatery has openedMcLAREN Vale Grape Wine in Tasmania with the adventAnd Tourism Association has of Osteria at Stefano Lubianaannounced key strategic Wines at Granton, north ofgoals to guide the region in Hobart, home to Tasmania’s firstits on-going development certified biodynamic vineyard.as a world-class wine, food Osteria is open for lunch everyand tourism destination. “We Thursday to Monday, with ahave established two key and menu featuring fresh, organic,ambitious goals on which seasonal and regional produceto chart McLaren Vale’s direction and development over the that owners Steve and Moniquenext five years,” said consultant/CEO Marc Allgrove. “Building Lubiana say will change weekly. The small Italian-accented menuon the success of the McLaren Vale Sustainable Wine Growing features the likes of prosciutto with figs, fennel seed grissini andprogram, McLaren Vale is embarking on a bid to receive ISO aged balsamic vinegar; roasted pumpkin with ricotta salad,14001 accreditation for the region.- “This would make McLaren toasted pine nuts and chickpeas; and house-made gnocchi withVale the first region in the world to do so. In addition a bid is orange and cinnamon-braised ox cheek ragu. There will also bemounting to have the greater Mt Lofty Ranges (including McLaren a cheese platter with an Italian focus.Vale) registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and McLarenVale aims to be at the forefront of this effort. These goals will “We use as much produce as we can straight from the garden andserve to focus the effort of the Association as well as inspire the when we need an ingredient that we can’t grow, we try to sourceregion to actively get behind each bid. History shows that when the highest quality organic produce,” say the Lubianas. “All of ourthe community of McLaren Vale believes in a goal or a cause the animal products are free-range, sustainably farmed or line caughtcollective will is unstoppable.” and have lived a free, natural life.” Osteria, 60 Rowbottoms Rd, Granton; phone (03) 6263 7457. www.slw.com.au. ALDILiquor aldiliquor.com.au Australia’s Best Value LIquor retAILer* Over 200 wine, beer and spirits are available at your fingertips from our every day range and exciting special buys. Order now on your smartphone, tablet or desktop for quality liquor delivered straight to your door. free delivery when you spend over $300† Delivery charges are on a per case basis. (†Excludes Beer and RTD’s. This offer is valid for selected Eastern Seaboard Delivery locations only.) ALDI supports the responsible service of alcohol. It is illegal to purchase alcohol for people under 18. On-line sales made pursuant to the Authority of packaged liquor licence no: LIQP770010278. *Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January 2013- December 2013. n=8,460. Base: Australians 18+ who specified the store they usually purchase alcohol.14 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
briefsCANADIANS TO FOCUS ON OZ our wine sector and provide a significant boost to the perception of the Australian category in Canada. There’s been an excitingAUSTRALIAN wine will take centre stage at next year’s evolution in Australian wine over the past decade: diverse wineVancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF), with the festival styles, emerging regions and sub-regions, next generationorganisers announcing Australia as the theme country for 2015. winemakers and a re-energised approach to the market. We lookThe 37th festival, which will run from February 23 to March 1, is forward to partnering with wineries and wine regions to showCanada’s premier wine show and one of the largest consumer this to festival-goers at VIWF in 2015.” Participating wineries willwine festivals in North America. Wine Australia’s regional have exposure to more than 24,000 consumers, 4000 influentialdirector for North America, Angela Slade, said the festival would wine trade professionals and hundreds of Canadian wine andshowcase Australian wine and give Australian wineries exposure lifestyle media outlets through dedicated Australian-themedto Canada’s wine-loving consumers, wine trade and wine and sections and events, including exhibition booths, lunches,lifestyle media. “This is the first time in eight years that Australia dinners, consumer and trade seminars, boardroom tastings,has been the theme country at the Vancouver International Wine grazing events and parties. See www.vanwinefest.ca.Festival,” she said. “This opportunity will shine the spotlight on July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 15
nzbriefswhat’s happening on the NZ wine sceneWILL 2014 PRODUCE ANOTHER GLUT? NORTHLAND WINEDURING the 2014 vintage - generally expected to have set a new NORTHLAND’S tiny wine industry is about to get a significant boostvolume record - one winery owner suggested that NZ faces a repeat with the expansion of Purerua Peninsula’s The Landing vineyard,of the oversupply problems that drove prices down between 2008 in the northern Bay of Islands.and 2011. “Sadly this year there’s a big danger that we’ll have a glutagain,” declared Robert Wilson, co-founder of Trinity Hill winery, in Peter Cooper, born in Kaitaia, is the founder of Cooper andHawke’s Bay. “So many people have invested in vineyards that aren’t Company, a private investment firm with interests that include thereally needed.” Britomart development, in downtown Auckland, and Southlake Town Square, in Texas. Cooper, a former executive director of Lion Philip Gregan, CEO of NZ Winegrowers, disagreed with Wilson, Nathan, planted 2ha of chardonnay and syrah at The Landing insaying further vine plantings are needed. “While vintage 2013 was 2007. By the end of 2014, the 400-ha Northland property - whichlarge, vintage 2012 was small, so you get a better perspective by also boasts private beaches and luxury accommodation - willadding those vintages together. Some wineries are still quite short have 10ha planted in vines, yielding 6000 cases of wine per year,of wine after 2013 - hence their desire for a larger crop this year.” boosting the region’s wine output by 50 per cent. Gregan believes a big 2014 crop was needed to supply the WINE EXECUTIVE IN COURTindustry’s growing international demand. In the year to June, the valueof New Zealand’s wine exports is predicted to reach a record $NZ1.3 AS A former senior executive at Montana, and also in Aucklandbillion. “The big difference between now and 2008 is that there are rugby and advertising, Peter Scutts is a familiar name in businessno new vineyards coming into production over the next three years… circles. He now faces 16 charges under the Crimes Act ofwe are just as likely to have small as large harvests over that time.” dishonestly using a document and a further charge under the Secret Commission Act of receiving secret reward for procuring contracts. Due to a favourable growing season, the 2014 harvest startedearly. Nautilus began picking pinot noir grapes in Marlborough for The charges, brought by the Serious Fraud Office, relate toits sparkling wine on February 25 - the earliest start ever - and in 2011, when Scutts was CEO of the New Zealand Wine CompanyMarch, the weather was sunny and abnormally dry. (whose brands included Grove Mill, Sanctuary and Frog Haven). The Serious Fraud Office, quoted in the New Zealand Herald, Clive Jones, chair of Wine Marlborough, believes that the 2014 says that “in March 2011, New Zealand Wine Company enteredharvest “is likely to be limited by winery capacity. There has been into an agreement to supply wine to an Australian-based winesome investment in tank capacity but even so it is highly likely some wholesaler. SFO alleges that while in the role of CEO for thefruit will be left on the vine.” New Zealand Wine Company, Mr Scutts also received payments from the same wholesaler based on the volume of wine sold by Yealands Estate reportedly dropped 50 per cent of its crop on NZWC. SFO alleges that the NZWC board had no knowledge ofthe ground, at a labour cost of $NZ500,000. However, grower Mr Scutts’s receipt of the fees. The payments invoiced amountedRobert Anderson, told the Marlborough Express he would supply to approximately $NZ64,000.”a co-operative, Marlborough Grape Producers, with 400 tonnes ofsauvignon blanc from 20ha, at an average yield of 20 tonnes/ha. The case is expected to be heard in the High Court in early November. Scutts has denied that he took a secret commission Gisborne growers enthused that chardonnay and viognier are and will be defending all charges.“amongst the best the region has ever produced”. Meanwhile, thefirst sauvignon blanc from 2014, made under the Crush Pad label byMoana Park, in Hawke’s Bay, went on sale on April 1 - leading somewine commentators to mistakenly suspect an April Fool’s Day prank.TWO NEW WINE BOOKS CELIA HAY, Auckland-based food and wine educator, has writtenNew Zealand Wine Guide: An Introduction to the Wine Styles &Regions of New Zealand. The textbook is designed to supportcourses on wine taught around the country. Nelson-based KirstenRodsgaard-Mathiesen has also recently published an e-book,Passion, Pinot & Savvy: New Zealand Women Winemakers,promoted as “a great read about 16 personal journeys by 16 verysavvy women”.16 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
c o o p e r ’s c r e e d WORDS michael cooperNEW ZEALAND MADE BUT NOT NECESSARILY OWNEDThere’s an election coming up this year in world’s largest wine producers, Constellation Richard Riddiford, managing director ofNew Zealand … time to debate the hoary Brands, the US-based wine, beer and Palliser Estate, in Martinborough, believesissue of foreign investment, this time with spirits giant. Cloudy Bay, the country’s most overseas investment has been highlya special focus on the country’s biggest internationally prestigious winery, is in French beneficial to the industry. “It has giventrading partner, China. hands, as part of the Louis Vuitton-Moet us global distribution and exposed our Hennessy luxury goods empire. New Zealand brands to a whole lot more According to the Campaign Against customers, far quicker than we could everForeign Control of Aotearoa, Kiwis risk Many overseas-based private investors have done on our own.”becoming tenants in their own country have also decided to buy land or vineyards inand the wine industry has been ‘reduced New Zealand and develop their own brands, And the Overseas Investment Officeto being a bulk grape grower for foreign or invested in the industry indirectly, via listed requires foreign land buyers to demonstratebooze giants’. The counter-argument is that or unlisted companies. that their investment will benefit the economy,any new political moves to restrict overseas ‘over and above’ what a New Zealand investorownership, in the wine or other industries, What do the Vavasour, Goldwater, can show. For instance, when CK Lifewould reduce the prospects for business Dashwood, Redwood Pass and Clifford Sciences bought Northbank Vineyard, the OIOgrowth and job creation. approved the deal on the grounds it satisfied Many overseas-based its ‘substantial and identifiable benefit to NZ New Zealand has always attracted criteria’ by retaining jobs, providing greateroverseas investment, from Britain and later private investors have also efficiency and productivity, and bringingfrom Europe, the US, Japan and Australia. additional investment for development.These investment flows reflect each country’s decided to buy land oreconomic power at different times, and their In numerical terms at least, the industry isties to New Zealand. “So it is no surprise,” vineyards in New Zealand still dominated by local interests. Some bignoted Cathy Quinn in the New Zealand wine companies - Delegat’s/Oyster Bay, VillaHerald recently, “that as China’s global and develop their own Maria, Giesen, Yealands, Saint Clair – remainpower rises... more Chinese enterprises have in New Zealand hands, along with most of thesought to invest here”. brands, or invested in the middle-sized wineries and the vast majority of the approximately 600 small producers. CK Life Sciences, based in Hong Kong, industry indirectly, via listedalready ranks as the second-largest vineyard Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealandowner in Australia and New Zealand. HL or unlisted companies. Winegrowers, believes foreign investment isKam, the company’s president, believes, “the the quid pro quo of the right to sell wine inwine industry in Australasia is going through Bay wine brands, based in Marlborough, foreign markets. “You can’t have one withouta consolidation period. This provides a good have in common with the largest winery the other. We are either an internationalopportunity for us to acquire quality assets at in Martinborough, Te Kairanga? All are industry or we are not.”reasonable prices”. Last November, CK Life key parts of the fast expanding empireSciences bought 400 hectares of vineyards of an entrepreneurial American multi- But does foreign investment always havein Waipara, Marlborough and Central Otago. millionaire, Bill Foley. Foley Family Wines, a positive influence? No, says the prominent which is a publicly traded company in New British wine writer, Oz Clarke. “As these vast CK Life Sciences has links to another Hong Zealand, also recently purchased one of the wine conglomerates stride across continents,Kong-based group, QWIL Investments, country’s most famous pinot noir producers, it seems highly likely that local traditions will –which last year bought the sweeping 130ha Martinborough Vineyard. for purely business reasons – be pared away,Northbank Vineyard in Marlborough, now along with individuality of flavour.”leased to Treasury Wine Estates (Matua). Another wealthy American attracted to NZOther Chinese companies have recently recently is Charles Banks, formerly part- Sir George Fistonich, of Villa Maria, worriespurchased vineyards in Hawke's Bay, owner of Screaming Eagle, one of California’s that foreign liquor conglomerates will view NZMarlborough and Northland. most prestigious and pricey reds. Banks, solely as a source of ‘commodity’ sauvignon who has an extensive sales network across blanc. “If they focus on increasing production, The majority of NZ’s wine output is now North America and Europe, will become the there’s a chance people will become lesscontrolled by overseas interests. Constellation majority owner of Trinity Hill, one of Hawke's interested in the unique expression of theNZ, the largest producer - which owns the Bay’s top wineries, and plans to promote the wine... We can’t use the strength of our [NewKim Crawford, Nobilo, Selaks and Monkey wines around the world. Zealand] brand, then drop the level of qualityBay brands - itself belongs to one of the and commoditise our wines.” July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 17
europeanreport WORDS sally easton MWSpain’s surge in productionFigures from the Spanish ministry were to the viticultural situation in Spain. And and Italy of about 7mhl each. However, inoriginally reported as indicating Spain given that Spain comprises a collection Spain, the net effect of these two measureshad become the world’s biggest wine of autonomous regions, getting an overall actually saw an increase in production ofproducer in 2013. This was big news picture for the whole country is quite tricky. around 5mhl. Not really what the reformbecause usually France and Italy chop However, a recent EU (European Union) had in mind to achieve.and change for the top spot. This despite audit report of the union’s wine sectorSpain long having had the largest vineyard reform does shed some light. One particular autonomous region inarea; the lower yields typically meant the Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, to the southcountry always came in third in the volume As part of the whole EU wine sector and east of Madrid, is a big bulk wineproduction rankings. reform, the EU has been providing producing region. That EU audit report subsidies to grub up vineyards. About noted that the yield achieved in modernised The number quoted was pretty big – 160,000 hectares (the approximate size vineyards in Castilla-La Mancha were 60hl/saying Spain produced about 50 million of the Aussie vineyard) was thus grubbed ha versus 37hl/ha in vineyards that had nothectolitres (mhl) in 2013, which was a up between 2008 and 2011. However the been modernised, i.e. more 60% higher40% increase over production in 2012. If EU also provides subsidies to modernise than previously. Added to which, in 2013,this were true, it would have meant that (“restructure”) vineyards. Restructuring weather conditions in the region, whichSpain leap-frogged both France and typically means replanting with different, produced more than half the country’sItaly to become the world’s biggest wine for example, more market-orientated total crop, were said to provide all the rightproducer. Huge news indeed. grape varieties, and using different conditions for successful grape growth. SoIf this were true, it would have meant that Spain leap-frogged both France andItaly to become the world’s biggest wine producer. Huge news indeed. Shortly after that figure was published, vineyard management techniques, for it seems a big chunk of the extra wine is atthe OIV (International organisation of example, more productive and more cost- the bulk end of the market. Certainly notvine and wine), which reports annually efficient vine training systems, including what the EU needs in terms of rebalancingon consolidated global production and mechanisation and irrigation. Jancis supply and demand. And probably notconsumption data, reported Spain’s wine Robinson in the Financial Times recently what Spain wants in terms of buildingproduction at a more modest 42.7 mhl. reported a third of Spain’s vineyards are reputation and value.However this was still a 30% increase now irrigated.over 2012. And a production of this size And remember the grubbing up. OIVdoes push France, with 42mhl, into third What has happened in the top three figures suggest Spain’s total vineyard areaspot. But it keeps Spain behind Italy with producing countries is that in France and (wine and juice) has fallen from 1.2 million45mhl. Even pushing France into third spot Italy the effects of grubbing up exceeded hectares to around 1 million hectares inis pretty big news. the effects of modernisation, resulting in the ten years to 2013. Nearly half of this an overall drop in production from these vineyard area reduction happened as a It seems the confusion about Spain’s measures. The report offers a longer result of the wine sector reform, with justproduction and ranking may have arisen term view of this: between about 1990 under 94,000 ha being grubbed up in thebecause of the amount of grape juice and 2011, grubbing up cut production three years between 2008 and 2011. Spainproduced that is not fermented into wine. in France by about 7mhl and in Italy by is just getting more efficient at producingThe figure of 51.2mhl originally quoted about 10mhl. Whereas increased yield grapes. And if the production level of 2013actually includes said grape juice. So, of from modernisation had a negligible effect is unlikely to be a one-off, then Spain reallythe 51.2 mhl grape harvest, some 42.7 mhl in France and in Italy production from could well be on its way to becomingwent to wine production. this measure increased by around 3mhl, the biggest wine producing nation in the resulting in net declines in both France world, for real. But all of this does rather draw the eye18 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
Admittedly, in 2013, the country was ADELAIDEhelped by inclement weather conditionsin much of France and Italy. At the time WINEMAKERSof writing, the en primeur tastings inBordeaux for the 2013 vintage, were Adelaide Winemakers is the producer ofproviding greater twitter activity about �ine South Australian wines. Each of ourart, architecture and sartorial commentary brands carries its own identity and storythan about the wines themselves, but they all have things in common; value,suggesting the wines were not muchto ‘write home about’. It’s not been quality and distinctive personality.Bordeaux’s best vintage, and it was thesmallest in a generation. Venture to our new online cellar door: * Shop our extensive selection of current releases with ease Indeed much of France was plagued * Shipping capped at $9 - no matter how much you buy!by rot; much of Italy by cool spring * Create your own virtual cellar so you can rate andconditions and mildew. Part of thelonger term trend to smaller production review the wines you buyin these two countries is also as a result * Downloadable tasting notes to keepof the wine sector reform, which saw * Gain access to back vintages and limited releasesvineyard areas falling from 857,000 to * Keep up with Adelaide Winemakers news and events807,000 hectares in France and 825,000 * Experience personalised customer serviceto 786,000 in Italy. In terms of finding abalance between supply and demand, www.adelaidewinemakers.com.auFrance and Italy look like they’re aheadof the curve compared to Spain. Call us: +61 (0) 8 8323 6124 Whatever the rankings, Spain is left to Our story is simple - One Destination, Many Personalitiesfind markets for the increased production.The classic price-sensitive markets ofUK and Germany might take a bit, but,as with other producing countries, thebigger opportunities probably still liein the emerging markets of south eastAsia and central America. For Spain,Eastern Europe looks like providinganother opportunity. Compounding Spain’s supply-demandequation is quite seriously fallingconsumption. It has fallen from 13.8 mhlin 2000/2001 to 9.85 mhl in 2012/2013 –a drop of nearly a third since the turn ofthe millennium. Per capita consumptionis now just 21 litres, which is round about15% lower than Australia. This meansthe gap between consumption andproduction is growing, at a notable pace.I guess there might be some bargains tobe had in the short term. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 19
winetutor WORDS clive hartleyBLENDING BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN CABERNETFRANCE has developed some great wine in wetter climates. Cabernet franc is even known as bouchet in Bordeaux, gives evenpartnerships. Shiraz viognier, semillon earlier ripening than both cabernet and higher level of methoxypyrazine characterssauvignon blanc and GSM to name just merlot, which explains why it is found to if not ripe and can be extremely leafy. It isthree. But probably the most famous the north of Bordeaux in the Loire Valley. found in both the left and right bank areasone is the colloquially named “Bordeaux When made into wine merlot has a riper in Bordeaux and is particularly importantBlend”. I like blends. To me the perfect profile and can generate an additional 1 in Saint-Emilion where it is blended withworld would be walking into a cellar door per cent of alcohol over cabernet, another merlot. Chateau Cheval Blanc being theand being offered one or perhaps two useful attribute in cool European vintages, supreme example where a bottle of thewines, a white and red; similar to what but not a crucial factor in Australia. iconic 1947 vintage could set you backhappens in the Chateaux of Bordeaux. It’s $10,000 to $15,000.a statement that perhaps snobbishly says Cabernet sauvignon has small, thick“here…that is all you are going to get, like skinned berries that give high colour, Cabernet, in my books, has a betterit or lump it” and then explaining “we have tannins and acidity. It crops lightly and propensity to display a regional signaturetried so many variations and we think this yields sometimes half of what shiraz than possibly any other variety insuits the terroir and we like it”. Successful achieves. It produces muscular wines, Australia. The whiff of that maritimeblends are an example of “the whole being especially if not fully ripe. In my early herbaceous character from Margaretgreater than the sum of its parts”. On the wine career I clearly remember attending River or the classic mint and slightdown side blends can also be a case of major London en primeur Bordeaux eucalyptus notes from Coonawarra or thewhat was available just got put together; tastings (one of those life experiences cassis black fruit richness of the Clare are that was definitely wasted on a youth) three of our most classic recognisable regional characteristics. You couldWhat is also unique to Australia is blending cabernet add into the mix the traditional Yarrawith shiraz and while I find the latter can dominate this producers choosing a Bordeaux blendmarriage there are some successful wines. over a single varietal bottling as another style. What is also unique to Australia isand you see a number of these on the and tasting countless “growths” that were blending cabernet with shiraz and while Imarket. Historically blends came together as austere and tannic as an old leather find the latter can dominate this marriagefor a number of reasons. Field blends, boot, and wondering if they would ever be there are some successful wines, takefor example, were where grape varieties drinkable. Looking back that was probably Redbank’s Sally’s Paddock for instance.were planted and harvested together, and the so-called “generous” 1982 vintage. It often displays some cooler mint notesended up being co-fermented. The classic The Bordeaux region is able to achieve sourced from its Pyrenees vineyard inexample being the Rhone Valley Cote Rotie riper grapes these days through modern Western Victoria. Last year, owner Neillsyrah viognier blend. canopy management techniques as well as Robb celebrated the 40th vintage of this the effects of global warming. This trend classic Australian blend. In Bordeaux, and especially the left bank, results in higher alcohol levels and earlierthe wines are blends of predominately maturing, softer wines. Another classic blend comes fromcabernet sauvignon and merlot with Australia’s first boutique winery - Lake’scabernet franc and petit verdot added If the vintage is cool cabernet can reveal Folly. The estate was established in 1963in smaller proportions. In the marginal an herbaceous methoxypyrazine side with by renowned surgeon, author and bon-maritime climate of Bordeaux different similarities to sauvignon blanc. This is vivant, Dr Max Lake OAM, who adoredgrape varieties were planted as an not altogether surprising as DNA testing cabernet sauvignon. For the last 14insurance policy for inclement weather at at the Davis Campus of the University years Lake’s Folly has been under theflowering and harvest. Cabernet sauvignon of California in 1996 identified cabernet stewardship of the WA-based Fogarty Wineis a late flowering and ripening variety, sauvignon as the offspring of cabernet Group and winemaker Rodney Kempe.while merlot buds and ripens a little earlier. franc and sauvignon blanc. Merlot, It has remained a tour de force blendMerlot is also more resistant to powdery carmenere and malbec are also distant and Australia’s most collected cabernet,mildew than cabernet, especially useful relations of cabernet. Cabernet franc, according to the 2013 Wine Ark Survey. Its red is generally a 60 per cent cabernet, 20 per cent petit verdot, 10 per cent merlot and 10 per cent syrah blend. The high20 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
percentage of petit verdot is quite unique. Yorke Peninsula’sKempe comments on the difficulty of award winningtending petit verdot: “It’s 20 per cent of vineyardthe blend but can consume 90 per cent ofour time. It’s fickle and does not like it toohot or too cold, it can overcrop easily so itneeds strict pruning back and you cannotget it wet”. In other words rain at harvest isa killer for petit verdot. But he reckons it isworth the effort in the long run. “It providesa really interesting component, addingnatural acidity and a violet aroma, as wellas a fantastic colour to the wine,” he says. Lake’s Folly started off as a straightcabernet sauvignon but changed toa Bordeaux blend from 1994 with theintroduction of petit verdot and merlot.“Merlot adds what we call a fairy flosselement to the wine, it adds fruit and flavourto the middle palate,” Kempe says. Whilethe soils are fairly complex at Lake’s Folly,sometimes changing every 100m, thered varieties are generally grown on redclay soils with a limestone underlay, notdissimilar to Coonawarra’s terra rossa.Lake’s Folly cabernet blend can best bethought of as an estate blend rather thana regional style as some commentatorsthink that the Hunter Valley is not cabernetcountry. “I always see cedar notes in ourwine and that is not a product of the oakmaturation,” Kempe says. “You do getblackberry aromas when they are young,and some black cherry and red fruits incooler vintages.” The Hunter brings its own uniquechallenges to winemaking with fast ripeningperiods and the necessity of picking earlywith summer rainfall an ever-present threat.Sometimes that works in cabernet’s favourwhen it can survive through a downpourand successfully dry out. With the inherent structure of cabernetsauvignon it naturally has a predispositionto age gracefully. Cabernet is capableof offering cedar and leather notes withcigar box and earthy characteristics to acollector who has a mind to mature it. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 21
winetravel WORDS ELISABETH KINGROOMS WITH A VIEW AND LIMITLESS LUXURYI LOVE giving new luxury hotels a test- position in the multi-billion dollar Lujiazui with the tagline - Pimp Your Stay. There’srun. Who wouldn’t? In fact, apart from financial district. Perched on the banks nothing more down-and-dirty on offeropening jitters they are a lot easier to of the Huangpu river, it offers the sort than rose petals on your bed andreview. There’s nothing worse than trying of seamless five-star modern luxury champagne, chocolates and fruits into find the good points about a grand Mandarin Oriental perfected in Hong your room on arrival. Located on thehotel once famed as a favourite of Brigitte Kong. edge of the Museum Quarter in a grandBardot whose decor matches the former 19th century mansion block - olde worldebombshell’s sad decline. There’s 318 rooms, 44 suites and 210 ends there. Phillippe Starck’s yoo design apartments if you are on a longer business company kitted out the 63 rooms in a There’s no need to use “careful” wording trip. The 13-treatment room spa, lavish relaxing but avant-garde style. There’sabout the Aman Canal Grande in Venice, indoor pool and six signature restaurants, also a Slow Food-inspired restaurant,the luxury hotel group’s newest European including the Fifty 8o Grill for modern proximity to a clutch of Vienna’s topproperty, which boasts two of only a French cuisine and the Yong Ti Ying for fashion boutiques and gob-smackinghandful of private gardens on the “main Shanghainese delicacies, will soothe views of the city’s historic district fromstreet” of Venice. Housed in the 16th away the stress of Shanghai’s frenetic the rooftop terrace. The name? It meanscentury Palazzo Papadopoli, Aman’s pace and notorious smog blankets. On a “without care” in French.fourth property near the Med is more clear day, the view from the Qi Bar seemslikely to prompt a flood of superlatives like the sci-fi city in the movie, Her. Justin Bieber stayed at The Thief, a “six-and outright gushing. star” hotel in Oslo owned by billionaire The fabled Waldorf Astoria in New Petter Stordalen, during his Norwegian Each of the 24 suites delivers on Aman’s York was founded by the descendants tour. The 50-year-old zips around Oslo inpromise of “impossible luxury”. The of John Jacob Astor. Born in Walldorf, a bio-fuel powered Ferrari and the hotel is crammed with $4.5 million worth of art,Do you believe in ghosts? If so, some of the ones including works by Andy Warhol. Locatedhaunting New York’s The Quin are worth waking up for. in the gentrified Tjuvholmen waterfront where thieves swung from the gallows inceiling of the Alcove Tiepolo Suite was Germany, he was the wealthiest man in the 18th century, Bieber bedded down inpainted by the 18th century namesake the US when he died. For a temporary the $4200-a-night Oslo Suite - completeartist and the fireplace in the Sansovino billionaire’s lifestyle in Europe, you won’t with Peter Blake art installation. City suitsSuite is the work of Jacopo d’ Antonio do better than the Waldorf Astoria Berlin are the main customers in the exy organicSansovino, the renowned 16th century - from the first Guerlain spa in Germany restaurant and the ice in the cocktailsVenetian architect. Following your arrival to Les Solistes, the gourmet restaurant is ultra-clear and chipped from chain-by private motor launch, take time for a run by Michelin-starred French chef, sawed blocks.treatment in the spa or gawk at the 19th Pierre Gagnaire.century neo-Rococco splendour of the Once immortalised as the “cornerpiano nobile - the palazzo’s showcase The spectacular Corner Suites make mansion” in Alexander Pushkin’s poem,floor. The place to be at sunset for a the most of the hotel’s central location - The Bronze Horseman, the Four Seasonschilled glass of champagne or prosecco a short stroll to the Ku’damm, the city’s Lion Palace in St Petersburg is back inis the rooftop terrace, with panoramic ritziest shopping street. The Art Deco- the global spotlight. Formerly owned byviews of the Campanile and Rialto Bridge. inspired Lang Bar, named after iconic the fabulously named Princess Cleopatra movie director Fritz Lang, is as much a Lobanova- Rostovskaya, the building’s In the movie Skyfall, James Bond tails place to share space with the German Soviet-era history as a hostel and dingyhitman Patrice from Shanghai’s Pudong capital’s most stylish residents as is the offices has been sent packing. The firstInternational Airport to a futuristic aptly-named Peacock Alley. Smart move: Four Seasons hotel in Russia is againskyscraper. The film-makers used Book the one night package that includes awash with sweeping staircases, intricateBroadgate Tower in London to fake a limo from the airport and a glass of ceilings and the finest furniture. One thingthe scenes in China’s most populous champagne on arrival. that didn't change in Communist timescity. The Mandarin Oriental Shanghai is was the palace’s astounding views ofthe real deal and holds a centre-stage Perhaps Vienna’s Hotel Sans Souci the city and the Neva river. Forty different shouldn’t have spruiked its extra services vodkas are available in the Xander Bar,22 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
a tribute to Tsar Alexander II for whomLouis Roederer Cristal champagne wascreated. One of the former courtyards isnow the glassed-in Tea Lounge wherevintage samovars rule again. Lenin mustbe spinning in his grave. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, someof the ones haunting New York’s TheQuin are worth waking up for. Legendarypianist Paderewski and opera greatGuiseppe de Luca are just two of themusic legends that stayed in the formerhotel on the West 57th St site - TheBuckingham Hotel. Opened last June,the change couldn’t be more dramatic,from the white leather-wrapped columnsin the lobby to the two-storey artisanalrestaurant designed to “evoke theexperience of an old gentleman’s clubwith a touch of the disco era”. The205 guestrooms are fitted with DUXby Duxiana beds and Sferra Venetiansheets. Billed as the Quintessential NewYork hotel, the location is unbeatable- a short stroll to Central Park, FifthAve, the Lincoln Center and majormuseum. Relax in The Wayfarer, adouble storey restaurant/bar resemblinga smart gentleman’s club where the foodemphasis is on using as much New YorkState produce as possible. Closed for seven years for a multi-million dollar revamp by Orient-Express,El Encanto’s stunning makeover includesa unique feature - a cow called Ellie. Thepampered Holstein’s milk will be used tomake a cheese exclusive to the century-old property in Santa Barbara on the so-called “Californian Riviera”. Clark Gableand Carole Lombard hid away in one ofthe 92 California-style bungalows withopen fireplaces, plantation shutters andprivate terraces. If you’re after a RalphLauren ad of a vacation from Big Surocean views to Cabernet Crush scrubs inthe spa or a glass of El Encanto’s home-brewed, unpasteurised beer - just call thepersonal concierge.
winehistory WORDS VALMAI HANKELANDRE L SIMON IN VICTORIAOCTOGENARIAN French-born food and dined on “some remarkably fine Moules to me, all meringue, creme Chantillywine writer, Andre Simon, on his first Marinieres, fat mussels gathered that and strawberries”. The Wine and Foodvisit to Australia, was now in Victoria. afternoon”, and a Merlan Meuniere, “a Society’s records show that planningIt was mid-January, 1964, and he was better fish than the English Channel Simon’s program was not all plain sailing,being driven around the state’s leading whiting”. These were followed by Filet and that there were some problems.wineries and eating places. His guide Mignon garni, and cheeses. Simon For instance, there was disagreementand chauffeur was his friend, Victoria did not comment on any of the wines, about combining some events soWine and Food Society president Victor simply listing them: 1956 Great Western that the 86-year-old Simon was notGibson. It’s wearying just reading about Chablis; 1958 Lindeman’s Private Bin expected to attend too many. ButSimon’s hectic timetable. On most days 1177 Traminer; 1962 All Saints Riesling; some functions were merged, to thehe was taken to both lunch and dinner, 1953 Lindeman’s Bin 754 Claret; 1957 All chagrin of society members. On at leastwhere he was plied with the best wines Saints Claret and a 1940 All Saints Claret. one occasion members were asked ifand food which his hosts could offer. there were “any wines that we shouldOn January 14, the two men drove to Next day’s lunch venue was the particularly show or not show to ourChateau Tahbilk, where they stayed with esteemed Melbourne Club, where the guest?” As organiser of Simon’s VictoriaEric Purbrick and his wife. Simon noted modest Simon had “the very unexpected visit, Victor Gibson had the unenviablethat the dinner, from soup to dessert fruit, and wholly undeserved compliment” task of trying to please everyone,had all been home grown or home killed. of being entertained by some of the including Simon. Some groups wantedAnd, of course, all of the wines (except Club’s senior members. The “simple and the ladies to be invited, others did not.the sparkling wines which began and excellent” meal consisted of the then If Simon had had his wish, ladies wouldended the meal) were from the Tahbilk fashionable Toheroa (a New Zealand have been present at most functions. shellfish) soup, fillets of Whiting Joinville,As organiser of Simon’s Victoria visit, Victor Gibson had the unenviable task oftrying to please everyone.cellars. Simon was impressed with the Myponga cheese, and “local delicious” A letter of December 18 to Gibson fromTahbilk wines: a 1957 Marsanne he strawberries. Seppelt’s Great Western Les Francis, Seppelt’s winemaker atconsidered to be “still fresh and lively, Brut was the pre-lunch tipple, followed Great Western, is decidedly edgy: “Iwith much more fruit than one would by 1962 Lindeman’s Kirkton Chablis with note that you have abandoned the ideaexpect to find in a white wine some seven the soup, then 1962 Henschke’s Kyneton of a dinner on January 21; I trust youyears old”, and three wines made from (sic) Estate Mosel with the fish, 1956 have advised the Ararat Food and Wineshiraz, ranging in age from 1944 to 1954, Saltram Langhorne Creek “Cabernet- Society of your decision as I understand,had “stood the test of time remarkably cum-Shiraz” and 1954 All Saints Shiraz at a great deal of inconvenience, thewell, that is without any loss of colour Bin 43 with the cheese, then, to round dinner has been arranged”. Fortunately,or vigour”. off the meal where it began, Seppelt’s a dinner did take place, in Craig’s Hotel, Great Western Brut with the strawberries. Ballarat, at which the presidents of A couple of days later, Simon was At least this lunch was light enough for six of the seven Wine and Food Societiesthe guest at the monthly luncheon Simon to enjoy his evening meal at one in Victoria (including Ararat) wereof the Viticultural Society of Victoria, of Melbourne’s leading restaurants of the present. The next day Simon lunchedat Melbourne’s Ritz Restaurant. Only day - the Walnut Tree Restaurant - where with Francis at Great Western wheresix wines were served, all masked. he raved over the crayfish of the house, he met Ian, John and Bill Seppelt, andMembers, but apparently not Simon, which he renamed Langouste in excelsis. tasted seven wines, of which “a delicatewere expected to comment on them 1956 white Chasselas”, bottled in 1957,before their identities were revealed. During the next six days Simon wined was the only wine to attract Simon’sSimon named none of them. Dinner that and dined his way around Victoria. At a comment. That night he was backnight was at the Meadows Inn, “a very private dinner party he tasted pavlova in Melbourne.modern and smart motel” where Simon for the first time - “the greatest novelty24 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK in the yarra valleynillumbik estate’s cellar door is now open. Unbelievable wines, delicious food, stunning natural beauty. Visit our family-owned cellar door, in a very unique part of the valley. nillumbik estate is 21-22 june 2014proudly participating in: www.winterwinefest.com.au195 clintons road smiths gully vic 3760 | tel 0408 337 326 | www.nillumbikestate.com.au
CSOOUMTFHOERRNT IT HAS SEVERAL SIZEABLE PRODUCERS, NOTABLY GIESEN, WHICH HAS BUILT AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION.26 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
MICHAEL COOPER with Marlborough’s. The reality is that Wairarapa, the wine region at the foot of the Nelson succeeds with an impressively North Island that includes the famous pinotTHERE’S something very English about wide array of varietal wines, including all of noir district of Martinborough. In Waipara, thethe names of the smaller wine regions those mentioned above, and its finest wines two most extensively planted grape varietiesin New Zealand’s South Island. Nelson compete well on the national stage. are sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, backed- the city and the province - honours the up by riesling, pinot gris and chardonnay.memory of Horatio Nelson, the admiral who Top producers insist that Nelson’s lackin 1805 triumphed over the French and of a single grape variety to hang its hat Despite its strong reputation for sturdy,Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar, and on - comparable to sauvignon blanc in savoury and rich pinot noirs and perfumed,Canterbury is named after the archbishop Marlborough or pinot noir in Central Otago tangy rieslings, Waipara is predicted toof… you guessed it, Canterbury. - is not a problem. “Having a hero variety remain a relatively small wine sub-region. can also be a bind,” notes Judy Finn, Plenty of land is available, but water is a Both regions live in the shadow of of Neudorf. “We have never faced any contentious issue in the local communityMarlborough - itself named after a famous difficulty co-promoting chardonnay, pinot and the current supply is insufficient for anyEnglish statesman and soldier, the Duke noir, riesling, etc.” major expansion of vineyards.of Marlborough - which lies south-eastof Nelson and north of Canterbury. With After “endless meetings and debates”, Rising prominently alongside the state22,970ha of bearing vines in 2014 - two- Nelson Wineart was chosen in 2003 as a highway just south of the Waipara River,thirds of the country’s vineyard area - brand to promote the region’s wine, built on the handsome stone restaurant and wineryMarlborough dominates winegrowing in Nelson’s reputation as an artists’ hive: “Like originally known as Canterbury House, andthe South Island. Nelson, by contrast, has Nelson itself, representing the very best later as The Mud House, recently changed itsjust 995ha of vines, or 2.9 per cent of the of art, we represent the art of wine.” But a name again - to Waipara Hills. “The Waiparacountry’s producing vineyards. recent survey has revealed “a lot of confusion Hills winemaking team is based in Waipara surrounding the name,” and the brand will and the wine is made in Waipara, so it makes That said, Nelson boasts several medium- shortly be changed “to something much sense that the name has become Waiparasized producers, including Seifried simpler and easier to understand”. Hills,” says the cellar door manager for over a(established in 1973), Kahurangi, Spencer decade, Jenny Anderson. In a logical move,Hill and Waimea. The region is also the base Further south, the Canterbury region’s the Mud House brand has been shifted backof such highly respected, smaller producers growers enjoy a strong local market in New to its roots in Marlborough.as Neudorf, Greenhough, Brightwater, Zealand’s second-largest city, Christchurch.Blackenbrook and Rimu Grove, and key Waipara, its dominant sub-region, is a Further south, a new cellar door hasorganic pioneers, including Richmond 45-minute drive north of the city. opened on Banks Peninsula, south-east ofPlains, Te Mania and Woollaston. Christchurch, where French settlers landed With 1325ha of bearing vines in 2014 in 1840 carrying vine cuttings, from which Sauvignon blanc covers almost half - over 80 per cent clustered in Waipara - wine was soon flowing for their domestic(48 per cent) of Nelson’s vineyard area, Canterbury is a slightly larger wine region consumption. Tim Herbert and his wife,followed by pinot noir (20 per cent) and pinot than Nelson, accounting for 3.8 per cent of Heidi, have 4ha of pinot noir, pinot gris andgris (13 per cent). Other grape varieties in the national vineyard. It has several sizeable chardonnay planted at Valley Road Vineyard.significant production include chardonnay producers - notably Giesen, which has built Their wines, in the past marketed under the(8 per cent), riesling (4 per cent) and an international reputation, although mostly French Farm and Tresillian brands, are soldgewurztraminer (3 per cent). for its huge-selling Marlborough sauvignon as French Peak. blanc - and such high-achieving wineries So what sets Nelson apart, in terms of as Pegasus Bay (renowned for riesling and Opposite: Valley Neale, co-founder of Brightwaterwine styles? Sauvignon blanc performs pinot noir), and Greystone (acclaimed for its Vineyards, in Nelson, hand-selecting grapes forstrongly on the stony, alluvial Waimea aromatic whites, including pinot gris). the winery’s top, Brightwater Lord RutherfordPlains, but those crisp, vibrant and freshly Sauvignon Blanc.aromatic wines compete almost directly Waipara (Maori for “muddy water”) is often confused in overseas markets with SOUTH ISLAND tasting starts page 118. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 27
ANCIENT FIELDS PRODUCEMODERN'MIRACLES'
WITH A HISTORY DATING BACK CENTURIES, TWO FRENCH ESTATES STILL PRODUCE OUTSTANDING WINES.ANDRE PRETORIUS In fact, the second wine of Haut-Brion changed its name of late: until the 2006THE SCENE is slightly incongruous: in the vintage it was called Bahans Haut-Brion,foreground the vines slope away poetically but with the 2007 vintage it was renamed Leto where a team of pickers is bringing in the Clarence de Haut-Brion in honour of the USharvest, but we are separated from them by magnate, Clarence Dillon, who purchasedthe prosaic sight of a train track. And beyond Haut-Brion in 1935.the harvest scene rise the buildings of aFrench provincial city. The stewardship of the Dillon family is the latest in a long and distinguished history for It does not feel like a plot from which Chateau Haut-Brion. Wine had been madecould spring some of the world’s greatest here at least as far back as the 14th centurywines, and yet it is: I am standing outside and when a local notable, Jean de Pontac,the cellar of Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion married in April 1525, his bride’s dowryin suburban Bordeaux. Across the street included the land of Haut-Brion.behind me lies La Mission’s even greatersister, Chateau Haut-Brion, one of the four Pontac lived to 101 and underBordeaux estates classified as Grand Cru his descendants, the wine acquired ain 1855 - with Chateaux Lafite, Latour and distinguished following in the 17th and 18thMargaux. Even that rail line that bisects the centuries. The notorious high living of thevineyard is distinguished: it was one of the English court after the Restoration of thefirst passenger lines in France, opened in monarchy in 1660 was lubricated by Haut-1841 from Bordeaux to the seaside at La Brion: the records of Charles II’s cellar showTeste near Arcachon on the Atlantic coast. 169 bottles of the “wine of Hobriono” in that Restoration year. Apart from being in the same ownership(since 1983) and being immediate The most famous diarist of that (and,neighbours, Chateaux Haut-Brion and La perhaps, any) decade also enjoyed theMission Haut-Brion, are not connected. wine: on April10, 1663 Samuel Pepys drank“So many people who come here think La at the Royal Oak Tavern and recorded in hisMission is the second wine of Haut-Brion, diary “there I drank a sort of French winebut it is not: they are completely separate called Ho-Bryan that hath a good and mostestates,” says Turid Alcaras, who is showing particular taste I never met with”.me around La Mission. Opposite: La Mission Wine Barrels. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 29
Fourteen years later the great English There are hints, to renovations when we visited) wasEnlightenment thinker, John Locke, visited even now, of consecrated in 1698.Bordeaux and wrote about Haut-Brion the honeyedthat “the wine of Pontac, so revered in character that The old monastic buildings have beenEngland, is made on a little rise of ground, may increase added to over the centuries, but they stilllieing open most to the west. It is noe thing with time, but provide a core of understated elegancebut pure white sand, mixed with a little it is already to the estate, and sculptures of holy mengravel. One would imagin it scarce fit to an intense, still preside over the activities. After all, asbeare anything…” and intensely the 18th century soldier Marshall Richelieu reportedly proclaimed on drinking La Locke was not the only Anglo-Saxon enjoyable, wine - Mission: “If God forbade drinking, wouldluminary to visit in this period and laud like silk on he have made such good wine?”the terroir and wines of Haut-Brion. In May the tongue.1787 the US ambassador to Paris (and The ageing cellar is a new addition -later US president), Thomas Jefferson, heir to Clarence Dillon’s granddaughter completed in 2007 - but it is an extensionvisited Haut-Brion and recorded his Joan, who married Prince Charles of of history: it was built out of the sameimpression that “the soil of Haut-Brion, Luxembourg in 1967 and succeeded to Frontenac stone as the other buildingswhich I examined in great detail, is made the estate in 1975. and it incorporates a pew-like galleryup of sand, in which there is near as much surmounted by that emblematic cross inround gravel or small stone and a very La Mission had a different history, hinted front of which the congregation of barrelslittle loam like the soils of the Medoc”. at in the distinctive cross that decorates are maturing in prayer-like serenity. HereHe went on to list together for the first everything from the label to the vinification they will be racked by candle light andtime the four estates that would achieve room and the ageing cellar. The vineyard fined with egg white, as if nothing haddistinction as the only first growths in the was acquired in 1682 by the monastic changed since the monks left.classification of 1855. order of the Congregation of Lazarus and the small chapel (where we watch But earlier, in the vinification room, But revolution was stirring in France, and an introductory video about the estate Alcaras revealed a world that the monksHaut-Brion did not escape: the owner at - Haut-Brion was closed to visitors due would not have recognised: both estatesthe time of the Revolution of 1789 was a have bespoke stainless steel fermentationPontac nephew and popular governor of vats with a diagonal internal divisionBordeaux, but in July 1794 he ended up that allows the alcoholic fermentation tounder the guillotine. His family recovered take place in the upper section, whilethe estate and sold it to Napoleon’s foreign the malolactic fermentation takes placeminister, Talleyrand, in 1801, after which it below (the white wines undergo a singlewas bought by the Larrieu-family in 1836 fermentation in wood).until the purchase by Clarence Dillonnearly a century later. Today it is presided Still, even here the science of wineover by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, making is tempered by the more ancient beauty of art and intuition: the grapes will be rigorously tested for optimal ripeness30 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
in the laboratory that is now an essential merlot berries I picked in the vineyard in is a blend of 80 per cent sauvignon andfeature of any leading winery, but in the front of the cellar - Haut-Brion confronts 20 per cent semillon and underneathend the decision to harvest will depend as us with such depth and complexity that it its seductive tropical flavours there is amuch on the taste of grapes on the tongue. is almost difficult to get a grip on it. The strong core of minerals. The Haut-Brion tannins feel heavier, the red colour is Blanc has a higher proportion of semillon In the tasting room, Alcaras has even deeper, the finish longer and more (55 per cent) and its tropical and peachassembled the two estates’ wines of the intense. flavours are almost floral. There are hints,2008 vintage. Haut-Brion is the only wine even now, of the honeyed character thatfrom outside the Medoc region north of When I last visited Haut-Brion in 2001, I may increase with time, but it is alreadyBordeaux to be included in the famous tasted the 1998 vintages of these wines an intense, and intensely enjoyable, wineclassification of 1855 and the estate and there is a bit of me that wishes I can - like silk on the tongue.differs from the Medoc wineries in a do so again now… On that visit, Haut-number of respects. “The temperature is Brion’s white was a discovery for me: with In the cloister afterwards, I ponder whattypically 2C higher here in the Graves than its small production - around 6000 bottles the monks would make of their legacy.in the Medoc and therefore the harvest annually - it is almost the estate’s guilty They can, I conclude, rest in peace:tends to start a week or two earlier here. pleasure, an indulgence alongside the the produce of this plot, which onceOur reds are typically a roughly equal famous red. So this time I am prepared dazzled Pepys, Locke and Jefferson,blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, to be dazzled. delights still.with a little bit of cabernet franc - say45:45:10. So neither merlot-heavy right- The Laville-Haut-Brion Blanc (since Opposite page and Above: Gardens at La Mission.bank wines, nor cabernet-dominated left 2009 called La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc)bank,” Alcaras explains. And unlike the estates of the Medoc,most of which do not much bother withwhite wines, both Haut-Brion and LaMission have sought-after whites. “Thosepickers in the vineyard are harvestingthe sauvignon blanc and semillon for ourwhites - they ripen first,” says Alcaras. Yet before she pours those whites, weturn to the reds: the grand vin and secondwine of both chateaux. What we findin the glasses turns out to be a masterclass in the mystery of terroir: visitors asfar back as Locke 335 years ago noticedthe difference in character between Haut-Brion and La Mission, and attributed itto the difference in soil and topography. Today - with the estates in the sameownership and subject to exactly thesame vinification methods presidedover by the third generation of the sameDelmas family - the revelation is evenstarker. Both the grand vin of La Missionand La Chappelle de la Mission Haut-Brion - the second wine - are more open,more approachable, rounder and withtheir fruit more overt, than Haut-Brion andLe Clarence from across the road. And inboth cases, the grand vin is perceptiblyin a different league to the second wine:greater depth, a finer structure, moreintensity, more complexity. Where La Mission offers flavours ofvanilla, toast, black berries and darkchocolate - I recall the taste of those ripe
MMoorailgliacREDISCOVERSITS 32 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
IT MIGHT BE LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF TASMANIA’SMONA MUSEUM BUT MOORILLA ESTATE ONCE AGAIN STANDS ALONE AS A PRODUCER OF FINE WINE.Above: Vineyard - Autumn 2014. Photo Credit: MONA/Rémi Chauvin.July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 33
MICHAEL HINCE I HONESTLY This desire is shared by the softly THINK THAT I’VE spoken, talented Canadian van der Reest,“THE prejudice that Tasmania is too cold BEEN ABLE TO now into his eighth vintage at Moorilla.for viticulture arises from the fact that PRESENT BOTHmost Australian vineyards are planted in THE PRAXIS AND Paradoxically, since MONA openedareas much warmer than Tasmania. Like MUSE WINES IN A in January 2011 Moorilla, as an entitymost prejudices it is based on a fallacy.” MANNER THAT in its own right, has flown under theSo said Claudio Alcorso, Moorilla Estate’s radar somewhat. Not so now, it’s comefounder in 1975. NO MATTER full circle and has re-emerged to claim WHAT YOU GET its rightful place among the pantheon How things have changed in such a IT’S A STANDOUT. of modern-day Tasmanian boutique,relatively short time. Fast forward to premium cool-climate producers.2014, Tasmania is Australia’s cool-climate MONA’s creator and owner, the elusive Boutique in that its average annual crushcapital and enterprising winemaker Conor entrepreneur David Walsh, shares much is now about 135 tonnes equivalent tovan der Reest is testament to the adage in common with the late Claudio Alcorso; 10,000 dozen bottles.“that everything old is new again” at namely a love of art, fine wine, enterpriseMoorilla Estate. and a fierce desire to ensure that this As for Moorilla’s rich history (and by “rock by the water” - Moorilla’s Aboriginal implication its wines) at risk of being lost Moorilla, Tasmania’s second oldest name - remains the magnum opus of or subsumed beneath MONA’s glitz and20th century winery has come full circle Tasmanian wine. glamour: “We’ve had 1.2 million visitorssince the pioneering Claudio Alcorso and most would not have realised thatplanted 200 vines in 1958 at Berriedale they were at a winery; this is to beoverlooking the Derwent River. It’s now part expected. After all, not everyone is intoof the breathtakingly spectacular Museum wine and part of the idea of MONA is toof Old and New Art (MONA), a leisurely allow people to find their own path - of late20-minute catamaran ride from Hobart. there’s a strong and growing relationship between Moorilla and MONA,” says van der Reest. “My intention is to try to get as many people who visit MONA to realise that there’s a quality-driven wine industry that’s accessible and close by; and I hope that this has led to increased visitations to other cellar doors in the state.”34 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
Likewise, Moorilla’s wines have been the Muse’s flagship 2008 Extra Brut Rosé I fondly remember the evocative, cloth-finding their own paths as expressions of Methode Traditionelle are anything to go labelled 1982 Moorilla Estate Rheingau-both terroir and individual style, especially by. “I honestly think that I’ve been able to style Riesling. Back then, it and the Piperssince the challenging 2011 vintage when present both the Praxis and Muse wines in Brook were the best two rhine rieslings invan der Reest’s learnings about the site a manner that no matter what you get it’s a Australia. They were preceded by someand Tasmania generally came of age. He standout,” van der Reest says. memorable vintages, including 1974,sees 2011 as a turning point in making 1979 and 1981 which exuded power,consistently good wines and developing In the late 1970s and early 1980s, grace and mineral flintiness, yet withouta house style. Moorilla’s wine was sold entirely by mailing sacrificing delicacy. list mostly to NSW, Victoria and South He sources his fruit from two vineyards Australia. Not so today. “Seventy per cent As for the early Moorilla pinot noirs,- Moorilla at Berriedale in the Derwent of what I make is sold onsite, whilst of the although attractive they were fragile andValley at 42.8°south and St Matthias in the rest, some makes it way to Melbourne lacking a firm finish, however over timenorth at Windermere in the Tamar Valley and Sydney, and as for export, I have just (and I suspect due to older vine fruit)at 41.3°south. The latter produces racier, secured my first order from Hong Kong,” they developed more texture and body asmore pronounced, fruit-forward wines than says van der Reest. typified by the 1981 vintage.those of the Derwent - yet both sites retainthe delicacy, balance and natural acidity Wine quality aside, that’s where the Finally, as to who makes consistentlythat typifies Tasmania’s cool-climate wines. MONA factor comes in - few cellar doors better pinot noir - Victoria or Tasmania? match the location, drama and spectacle Young, drink-now styles are under it affords. Consequently Moorilla is hardly “Tasmania! Though we have variablethe Praxis Series label, while finesse, a household name across Bass Strait weather, the temperatures are morecomplexity and cellar wines are the forte despite the inherent finesse and quality constant. If we have rain during vintage,of the Muse Series. Among the standout of its contemporary wines. In context, it’s Victoria gets it too and normally more ofPraxis wines are the beguiling 2013 St not surprising that mainland Australia is it. Victoria is more likely to get intenseMatthias Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp yet to discover Moorilla, as Tasmania’s temperatures; it’s not often we go above2012 chardonnay, a delectable 2012 pinot production is but a drop in Australia’s 30C, but I also realise this can happen innoir and an adventurous, fresh, creamy wine ocean; hence many Tassie wines are Victoria,” says van der Reest.2013 sparkling riesling. consumed locally. At Moorilla Estate there’s more to the wine Van der Reest has taken Moorilla’s But in terms of quality, Tasmania punches than is in the bottle!sparkling production from a mere 5 per well above its weight, especially for itscent to 30 per cent and now does tirage pinot noir and emerging rieslings, of which Opposite: Conor van der Reest, Moorilla winemakerand disgorging in house - to good effect plantings remain miniscule compared to photographed in the Moorilla vineyard at Mona.if the 2013 Praxis Sparkling Riesling and those of pinot noir and chardonnay. Above: Cellar Door at Moorilla Vineyard. TASMANIA tasting starts page 110. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 35
ISLAND VISION PAYS OFF A FRENCH CONNECTION AND A PASSION FOR PRODUCING FINE WINES HAS PUT SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S KANGAROO ISLAND ON THE WORLD WINE STAGE.36 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
NIGEL HOPKINS Marin Shaw, Andrew Hardy, Con Moshos ferry adds 10-15 per cent to his costs, with and Tony Jordan. He resigned from no transport subsidies from government:JACQUES Lurton knew that establishing the family business in 1988 and in the “We have no suppliers on the island, soa major vineyard and winery on Kangaroo 1990s became one of the world’s more my closest shop is in McLaren Vale orIsland was never going to be easy. It was prominent flying winemakers, before long Adelaide,” he says. Another problemvery different to what he had been used partnering with his brother, Francois, in is the lack of experienced vineyardto in France. a range of international wine businesses workers on the island: “We have to pay and establishing the Jacques et François backpackers, for example, and local The Bordeaux-based flying winemaker, Lurton J&FL label. untrained people - and we pay full pricewho did his first Australian vintage at because there is no competition, and theyMcWilliams winery in Griffith 30 years ago, In 2000, at the age of 41, Jacques take longer to do the job because they’regrew up and was trained in Bordeaux as established his Islander Estate vineyard untrained,” Lurton adds.a member of a family considered wine on Kangaroo Island. Apparently Francoisroyalty in France. didn’t share Jacques’ enthusiasm for Of course, there’s more, such as the Australia and the brothers went their ravenous local wildlife. “But if you take The UK wine writer Jancis Robinson separate ways with individual business the right advice at the start, which we’vesays the Lurtons are “so ubiquitous in interests. Jacques continues to own done, such as fencing the vineyardBordeaux” that they established a web Domaine de la Martinette in Bordeaux. properly with sufficient electric wires andsite providing their family tree, where mesh down into the ground, you can dealone can read about their fourth and Although Lurton’s family and global with that,” he says. “The wallabies andfifth generations of wine producers background is probably unrivalled kangaroos go away as soon as they hitwho have no fewer than 30 Bordeaux in the Australian wine industr y, he the wire, although the possums still gochateau between them, including the remains extraordinarily down to earth through. We solved that by keeping twofirst growth Chateau Cheval Blanc and and approachable, and - despite his dogs permanently in the vineyard.Chateau d’Yquem. ongoing consultancies in France and other countries - totally committed to Kangaroo “When I started the vineyard everyone “With only two exceptions, they remain Island and the 11ha Islander Estate told me about the bird problem, so webounded by the particularly rigid confines vineyard he established near Parndana netted the whole vineyard. But that wasof Bordeaux,” Robinson reports. “But with his late wife, Francoise, in 2000. a very important cost, so we worked outthe two exceptions are notable. Both what we would lose if we didn’t net andsons of the autocratic head of the Plantings include cabernet franc, for the past four years we haven’t netted.family, Andre Lurton (with nine chateau, sangiovese, shiraz, grenache, viognier, For the first three years we lost only a fewincluding Chateau Bonnet, the biggest semillon and malbec, and he built a hundred kilograms each year, but thisin Bordeaux), Francoise and Jacques, modern winery from scratch, importing year, because it was so wet, we had a lothave strayed from Bordeaux in the most most of the equipment from France. of birds both before and during vintage,spectacular fashion.” and lost a couple of tonnes (out of a total “It hasn’t been easy,” he concedes. of 70 tonnes). That’s a fair amount of wine While Francois headed for the UK wine “But it’s only difficult if you try to do at the end, but still doesn’t justify thetrade, straight out of university Jacques things in a way so you don’t lose money. expense of the nets.”took off for Australia in 1985, where Growing grapes on Kangaroo Island ishis early wine apprenticeship was with challenging, but only in financial terms. This could hardly be more different toLen Evans. During this period he met The cost of everything you do is different growing grapes in Bordeaux. “In Bordeauxand became friends with a group of to that on the mainland.”Australian winemakers who were busy Opposite Pagereshaping the future of the local wine Lurton estimates that having to source Above: Cabernet vines.industry, people such as Brian Croser, everything from posts to spare parts on the Below: Islander Entrance. mainland and transport it to the island by July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 37
we don’t have any pests, but our main this has been the quality of the wines heproblem is our humid climate. In some has been able to make from his “difficult”years, such as last year, we have to spray vineyard, which he now exports to the UK,14 times. Kangaroo Island is such a windy Germany, Finland, Canada, New Zealandplace we don’t need to spray the vineyard and China.very much. From mid-December to vintagewe never spray, and Kangaroo Island is “In terms of wine quality, I have neverextremely safe in terms of vine disease. been disappointed since the beginning,” he says. “I went to Kangaroo Island with “I completely admit it has been a difficult the idea of making high quality winessituation (on the island), especially from an unknown part of Australia and Ibecause I’m not there all the time and have definitely achieved that goal - andit took me a long time to absorb all the the value of the wines is attached not justlocal difficulties and integrate that into to their quality but also to their origin. Thea profitable business. Now, I would say potential of the island for growing grapesfor the last four years, the business is is excellent, with a number of sub-regions.worthwhile, it works, and now we can In general we have conditions that allowmove forward with some interesting grapes to ripen slowly and make wines withdecisions in terms of investment.” very good fruit character and expression. That is likely to include greater effort “I see the island as being like thepromoting Islander Estate’s cellar door to Burgundy of South Australia because itcapitalise on increased tourist visitation has this amazing variation of terroir, allto the island, an upgraded barrel cellar close to each other but all different.”and increased grape purchases fromother growers to underpin greater wine At the same time he concedes,production. Lurton also plans to introduce because of the difficulties, “no-one isan entry-level wine from less expensive very interested in investing in Kangaroograpes grown on the mainland and Island - except people like me whoprobably vinified in McLaren Vale. like challenges, but also who want toHe’s also considering making wine make wine that’s different to others. Myfrom grapes grown in the Adelaide vision for Kangaroo Island comes fromHills, using an established region to my experience in the rest of the world.create diversification in his wine range I’m used to making the effort to createand, through that, more interest in his something even if it has difficulties.”Kangaroo Island wines. Top Left: Grapes fresh from the vine. What has sustained Lurton through all of Top Right: Jill under the vines. Bottom Right: Tanks.38 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
AS MANY Australian winemakers have Australia well, wow, if it doesn’t have 95 fromrealised, something went seriously astray in Robert Parker people don’t understandthe international marketing of Australian wine. where you’re coming from. While Europe, the US and other markets “I think Australia, unfortunately, haswere quickly seduced by our “sunshine in a promoted itself as a country of inexpensivebottle”, it left us with a less tasty residue that wines, affordable and good quality, nosaid while we were cheap and cheerful, we problem. They’re very good, but at theweren’t quality. entry level. Again, many Australian winemakers, “And when you want to tell people Australiarealising this, have rebuilt their international has another proposition, that it has very highmarketing strategies. The response by quality wines that can compete with the bestthe First Families of Wine group, of iconic European wines, they don’t understand it,family-based wine businesses, has been specifically if you speak about finesse andone of the more dramatic and effective. In elegance. I always remember when I was2009, 12 wineries representing 16 Australian introducing my wine to Norway, a journalistregions and a combined 1200 years of family wrote an article with the headline ‘Elegancewinemaking experience came together to tell from Australia…is it possible?’the world about our premium quality wines. “This is a very negative image that we have, Jacques Lurton, from a family that owns where we have to defend the case that we30 or so French winemaking chateaux can be good. We should not be obliged toand is regarded as Bordeaux royalty, explain that we are capable of making highapplauds the move. quality wine. It should just be evident - and it is not evident. It is, in fact, a challenge. “When I go around the world I find itextremely difficult to introduce the idea of “That’s where Australians have to changehigh quality wines from Australia,” Lurton their way of promotion to show the best winessays. “And I know what I’m talking about, of Australia - and then the rest will follow.because I come from a region in Francewhere we are selling wines that can be “No one in France can tell you the namevery expensive and, when I propose my of the largest producers. But in Australia,wines from Bordeaux, wherever I am, no- everyone knows the name of the largestone says this is wrong. producers. But who around the world can name the best producer in Australia? “But when you arrive with a $20 wine from No one.” July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 39
NATURATHLE ORDER THIONF GSMOARKGEAANGICRAONWDINBGIOIMDYPANCATMIOCNWTIHNEESMAARINESCTORNEATMINUMIANRGKTEOT.DAN TRAUCKI WE ARE STRUGGLING the organic rules, while McLaren Vale’s TO KEEP UP WITH Paxton and Barossa’s Kalleske wineriesEVERY great idea has its right moment THE NUMBER OF both use low levels of preservatives.in time. If it is hatched too early it will fail, INQUIRIES FROMor be mocked, if it is too late it will be Temple Bruer winemaker, Vanessaoverlooked or be passé. WINERIES REGARDING Altmann, said: “The presence of more THE TRANSITION preservative-free wines augurs well It would seem that the moment has TO ORGANIC for the future of these types of wines.”now arrived for organic and biodynamic PRODUCTION. Michael Paxton agreed: “There were somewines. The later part of last century was preservative-free red wines which weretoo early as most wine drinkers would the other side suggesting that without the very exciting and an indication of the wayhave shuddered and run away as they addition of preservatives the wines will forward. Consumers want to buy a wine,conjured up images of wild-eyed hippies fall in a heap in a very short order. Key take it home and enjoy it, not store it awaywith funky feral wines that needed to be player, Langhorne Creek’s Temple Bruer, until it is ancient. How many people haveconsumed within 5.237 minutes of being has some preservative free wines while cellars these days?bottled before they became undrinkable. the rest of its range uses preservatives, albeit at very low levels as prescribed by “A well-made, preservative-free wine Today there is an acknowledgement bottled under screw cap has aroundthat serious wines can be made in the half the shelf life of the same wine withenvironmentally friendly way by being preservatives added. So instead of livingeither organic or biodynamic. for say 10 years, it will live for five years,” added Temple Bruer’s owner, David In terms of the issue of “preservative Bruer. “Given that 85 per cent of all winefree”, which is rather contentious with wine in Australia is consumed within 48 hoursdrinkers, with one side lauding the makers of purchase, the shorter ‘shelf life’ is nofor not adding sulphur to their wines, while40 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
organic do's & don'ts DO Don'tlonger the issue it used to be in the past.” Fertilise naturally through cover crops, Use chemical fertilisers. When asked about the future for the composts and animal fertilisers rather than chemical fertilisers. Use chemical sprays to controlorganic movement Altmann commented: pests.“Organic winemaking is achieving Mow/slash weeds in the vineyard.mainstream acceptance, with many Use herbicides to controlvineyards currently in the process of Protect vines from pests (insects and weeds.converting over, which is exciting for us diseases) by natural sprays and growingas it gives us more grape sourcing options plants strategically around the vines, Use chemical wine additivesas demand has exceeded supply from our eg native vegetation to deter birds from in making the wine.own vineyards.” attacking the grapes. Unnecessarily filter or fine Fellow organic producer Paxton agreed, Do everything naturally possible to promote the wine.“We got into biodynamics from a quality vineyard and fruit health.perspective and for the health of our NASAAAUSTRALIAN ORGANIC TASTINGvineyards. It is very pleasing to see Use minimal sulphur (or none) in makingthe momentum and positive image that the wine. MICHAEL PAXTON: “It was a strongbiodynamics is currently achieving.” tasting with wines which had lots of ORGANIC wines can be defined as wines expression, different and individualistic “The future is extremely bright. Each that are made from grapes that have been styles which highlighted their regionalyear more and more vineyards are coming grown without the use of “artificial chemicals” differences. The wines showed a lot ofon board as they realise that this way is such as fertilisers and insecticides. The diversity and strong purity of fruit character.sustainable and environmentally friendly concept is that artificial chemicals by their They were more natural expressions oflike our solar-powered winery. The demand very nature have a considerable residual the fruit and the vineyard location than thefor organic and biodynamic wines is impact on not only the vineyard soils, but that wines at ‘normal’ tastings.”growing around the world as well as in this also flows to the grapes and eventuallyAustralia,” said Troy Kalleske. into the wine we drink. VANESSA ALTMANN: “I thought this Biodynamic farming goes even further than was a very good tasting, with excellent The final word has to go to NASAA organic, in that it is based on the 1920’s quality and diversity. Most of the wines had(National Association for Sustainable works of the Austrian philosopher Rudolph excellent varietal expression, which wasAgriculture, Australia) GM Ben Copeman, Steiner who as a reaction to the widespread more discernible than in many conventionalwho recently hosted the Chinese delegation loss of farm vigour and output due to the wines I’ve tasted. Across brackets therefor the world’s first agreement with CHC degradation of the land, promoted an organic, was very good use of oak which enhanced(Beijing WuYue HuaXia Management holistic approach to farming. This involves the wines rather than swamping them.”& Technique Centre) China’s supreme two main principles - promoting the healthregulatory body for organic certification, to of the soil that is being farmed (like organic TROY KALLESKE: “This was a veryhave wines imported into China accredited farming does) and emphasising the link high quality tasting. I have been involvedby a foreign organisation. between the rhythm of the cosmos and plant in Winestate tastings on and off for 10 growth. The latter is the more contentious years and without a doubt this one had the “We are struggling to keep up with aspect, and thus you hear of vignerons highest strike rate of any that I have beenthe number of inquiries from wineries stereotypically spreading cow manure in involved in. It was pleasing that there wasregarding the transition to organic the vineyard by the light of the full moon. To considerably more distinction betweenproduction,” Copeland said. “At the become biodynamic requires a very serious wines within each class. For example, eachmoment a number of the bigger wineries commitment to the process, which takes at of the 30 or so shiraz tasted different fromare experimenting with organic wines sold least five years of effort to get certification each other, unlike in conventional tastingsonly at cellar door. The more the public see from NASAA (National Association for where many appear much the same.”organic wines on the shelves the more this Sustainable Agriculture, Australia) or ACOwill gain traction. The future is looking very (Australian Certified Organic).bright for organic wines.” To see the results of Winestate’s inauguralNASAA sponsored Organic wine tastinggo to page 128. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 41
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT SUN, SAND AND SURFIN BALI - A FLEDGLING WINE INDUSTRY ISBEGINNING TO MAKE AN IMPACT.DENIS GASTIN And, as the local interest in wine has settlers and are grown in North Bali in a strip begun to build, there has also been a lot extending from coastal Singarajah throughWINE has been the missing ingredient for more effort put into sourcing and selling to the beach resort of Pemuteran. One is athe complete holiday experience for many imported wine by distributors and retailers. white muscat variety known locally as belgiaforeign visitors to Bali. Until quite recently, An outstanding example of this is the Vin+ (similar to Muscat of Alexandria) and the otherthe simple choice for thirst quenching or a retail stores in the “trendy” town of Seminyak. is the rare French red grape variety alphonse-relaxing drink was basically the local beer It is well established in Jakarta with several lavallee. There is also a mystery variety(Bintang) or the local spirit, arak (distilled stores and opened its first store in Bali in known locally as probolinggo biru. Trials havefrom coconut palm sap, rice or coconut milk), November 2013. It presents a massive range been conducted with more conventionalthe latter being the source of many regretted of over 300 international and local wines, varieties, but none have proceeded yet tohangovers and the occasional fatality, as it featuring 27 different red grape varieties, commercial quantities of wine.can be up to 50 per cent alcohol, sometimes from 10 countries, and 19 different whitewith added methanol. varieties, from 11 countries. There is always There are around 400ha of grapevines something available for tasting in the store in Bali. Hatten Wines manages 35.5ha of Punitive import duties and taxes (totaling and all wines can be ordered to drink in, its own vines between the towns of Seriritup to 300 per cent of the landed cost) had either at the on-site wine bar or restaurant, and Pemuteran, and sources from anothereffectively excluded wine as an option for many by the glass. 50ha managed by contract suppliers in theall but the most extravagant visitors and, region. Fruit from another 15-20ha site iseven for them, the range of choices had The first to produce wine locally were also being used in other local wine ventures.been minimal and the volume consumed local business identity Ida Bagus Gotama, So around 25 per cent of vine plantings areminiscule. Wine was rarely listed in local bars and his son Ida Bagus Rai Budarsa. In the supporting winemaking.and restaurants, and even very hard to find mid-1990s, they added a grape growingin retail stores. and wine producing arm to the family While wine grape vines traditionally have business network which, since the 1960s, a dormant period in the cooler months, in But over the past decade things have had included the largest local producer of tropical Bali they produce grapes in 120-dayprogressively freshened up for wine drinkers, arak and brem (rice wine). cycles and growers stagger the cycles soinitially with wine being made from locally that grapes are harvested constantly. Hattengrown grapes and then from imported grape The basic local resource is two rather says it has had more than 300 “vintages” injuice being vinified locally, avoiding the hefty obscure table grape varieties that had been just 20 years of operation.import charges in both cases. introduced centuries ago by early Dutch The vines grow on pergolas, where the42 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
uprights are actually small trees that have the local Hatten identity, the wines were made from alphonse-lavallee. It is alsoto be pruned regularly. The pergolas help launched under a separate label called reportedly planting white varieties to extendto reduce disease by providing air space Two Islands. In this range there is a riesling, the range. Volumes are modest so far.for the grapes and also protect them against chardonnay, shiraz and a cabernet merlot.sunburn. Hatten recently opened a welcome The first winery to make wine in Bali fromcentre and observation deck at one of its A major driver of Hatten’s rapid growth has imported grapes was Wine of the Gods,vineyards near the town of Sanggalangit to been a progressively expanding commitment which kicked off in the late 1990s with twogive locals and international visitors a better to the creation of a local wine culture, moving basic wines made locally by Australianappreciation of the local wine scene. on from its initial focus on the tourist trade. winemaker Mark Lane from grapes grown The wine styles have evolved with local food in Margaret River. The winery was recently Producing wine of a quality to satisfy matching very much in mind. For example, taken over by Australian winemaker Craigforeign wine aficionados in a tropical this year it arranged a seminar in Jakarta to Newton and renamed Artisan Estate.location is no easy task, but it has been creatively present Indonesian food and wineaddressed with conviction by the family, with pairing. Conducting it were the chairmen of Newton set out initially in 2001 to developsubstantial overseas inputs, predominantly the Indonesian Chefs Association, the Food his strategy to source grapes from Westernfrom Australia. & Beverage Association and the Indonesian Australia and produce wine in Bali that Sommelier Association (as a moderator) would match the colour, quality and integrity Hatten Wines has grown into a major and Hatten’s Australian winemaker, James you would expect of an Australian wine.business, with a staff of over 150 involved Kalleske. Hatten also recently published He reckoned he’d get the best results within its grape growing, wine production and a pack of cards that feature wine topics fresh, rather than frozen, juice and sawdistribution arms. It is also the source of in the Bahasa Indonesian language to temperature control from dispatch through toincome for lots of contracting farming families. help build local wine knowledge and its the winery as the key challenge to avoid overIts winery, located in the southeast, at Sanur, is appreciation with local food. Local food warming, as this can stimulate fermentation.a modern facility with a horizontal press, over and wine combinations will also feature in The results are convincing.60 large wine tank fermenters, a bottling room a new TV series on wine in Asia, The Flyingand an up to date laboratory facility. It now Winemaker, presented by Hong Kong-based The first release under the Artisan Estateturns out 1 million bottles a year. Most is sold in Australian winemaker Eddie McDougall, label, in October 2009, was a “made in Bali”Bali, though demand beyond this is growing: screened internationally on the Discovery Australian chardonnay, followed in 2010 byJakarta, not surprisingly, is the number two Cable TV channel. its Classic Chardonnay and in 2011 with amarket and small export sales have been sauvignon blanc. Its first red wine, the Artisanhappening following the success of the Encouraged by the success of Hatten Shiraz, was also launched in 2011.Hatten Wines in international competitions. Wines, others have followed in its footsteps. There are now seven wineries in Bali but only Another very recent entry to the local The range of wines has grown progressively two of the newer wineries are using local wine scene is Plaga Wines, owned by winefrom just a rosé to a line-up of seven wine grapes, and in modest amounts. The others importer/distributor Indowines. It launched instyles. The rosé, launched in 1994, remains are working with imported grape juice for 2012 and, in a very short time, has made athe core of the range. It is semi-dry and made local vinification. big impression on the market. It is building afrom alphonse-lavallee. After considerable big following through its social network PLAYexperimentation with wine styles that could Singaraja Hills began in 1998 as Indigo tag, hosting parties at popular local venuespresent the best results with the available Wines, then changed its name to Indico and featuring them on its website. The initialvarieties, the range was progressively and recently re-launched as Singaraja Hills, range - sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, aexpanded through the early 2000s. It now which is where it sources its grapes. It makes rosé (made from cabernet sauvignon) andconsists of methode champenoise sparkling a modest range of three wines - a red, white a cabernet sauvignon red (with a splash ofwines - a rosé (Jepun) and a white (Tunjung) and rosé - and is low key. shiraz) - was made from Western Australian- a still white and light red (both called Aga), grapes. It is now also using grapes froma floral muscat (called Alexandria because of Sababay Wines, named this way because Chile, not surprisingly, given that its GM isthe similarity of Belgia and the French variety) it is located in south-eastern Bali, overlooking Chilean and the winemaker Argentinian.and a fortified wine (Pino de Bali) inspired Saba Bay, has the most experienced localby the Pineau des Charentes method. The winemaker Vincent Desplat at the helm. He Cape Discovery is another new wineryTunjung and Jepun are named after Bali’s began his career in France, then after a working with Margaret River fruit. It launchedbeautiful water lily and frangipani flowers, decade making wine in Western Australia at the beginning of 2012 with a sauvignonalso indicators of the styles. was recruited as the foundation winemaker blanc and rosé made in its winery in at Hatten 20 years ago. He finished at Hatten Singaraja, in the north of Bali with plans for In the past five years a new dimension has in 2008 and joined the founders of Sababay more wines to come.been added to the Hatten business, with the in 2010. Sababay sources its grapes fromrelease of a range of wines vinified locally “satellite vineyards” in Buleleng, in northern So wine drinkers now have quite a selectionfrom imported frozen Australian grape must. Bali. It offers a red wine called Black Velvet to choose from, beginning with local wines atTo ensure that this in no way compromises and a rosé called Pink Blossom. Both are very affordable levels (equivalent to around $A15 per bottle) and extending all the way up the price scale to big name imports. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 43
melbournegrapevineHilary McNevinA burgeoning food strip in the inner-south Choo’s, Viva Brazil, Hanoi Hannah and now, owner, Matteo Bruno, has gone from one toeast of Melbourne and the refurbishment Charlie Dumpling. This small space has three venues, opening Cityballs on Flindersand reopening of one of the dodgier pubs been transformed into a bustling diner, the Lane in August 2012 and Richballs on Swanin the inner-north have been some of the no-bookings policy has seen a few queues St, Richmond, in April 2013. Smithballs hasmore interesting openings in Melbourne form outside and manager Jamie Munro- all the hallmark looks Bruno has createdthese last few months where absinthe and Lynch manages the crowds with charm with the brand, a long copper bar, lots ofoysters, dumplings and pho, and meatballs and speed - two qualities not always easy leather and exposed bricks. He says theand sliders are making their way further to pull off simultaneously - while chef Dylan same menu that is available at the otherinto the consciousness of the local dining Roberts is producing fresh, fast and plump venues - think pork or chicken balls withscene. Le Bon Ton opened in what was dumplings that have enamored the inner- a selection of sides and accompanimentsThe Glasshouse hotel in Collingwood. Long city crowds. Pork dumplings are seasoned - will be available in Collingwood but he’sknown as a pub with a chequered history perfectly, Peking duck dumplings take the offering a different lunch menu, “with Heroand rough reputation, brothers Will and classic dish and wrap it up in good sturdy sandwiches and salads for the CollingwoodNick Balleau have taken it on, kept it urban pastry and it’s safe to say, the chocolate crowd,” and he’s added a neon sign to thein its feel but brought it up to speed with dumplings with raspberry sorbet are backwall stating: “I’m sorry for what I saidthe now-slick dining area of Melbourne’s probably what half the queue is patiently when I was hungry”. Clearly, he’s hopinginner-north. The brothers, who also own waiting for - they’re a treat. 184 High St, customers are leaving with their appetitesMexican eatery Chingon in the suburb of Prahran; phone 03 9510 4213. sated. 98 Smith St, Collingwood; phoneRichmond have employed Alabama-born, (03) 9416 4421.Texas-raised chefs (who also happen to A new venture next to Charlie Dumplingbe brothers) Jeremy and Christopher is Hanoi Hannah Express Lane at 186 Left: Le Bon Ton in Collingwood.Sutphin to fire up the imported smokers High St. The diner Hanoi Hannah at Above: Hanoi Hannah Express Lane Front and interior.and a big cabinet smokehouse where the number 180 has seen such a spillover of Photography Credit Jenna Fahey-White.Riverina grain-fed Angus beef brisket and diners on to the Prahran footpath that thepork shoulders are mesquite-smoked for owners opened Express Lane to focusup to 16 hours. The feel of the Deep South on takeaway and quick meals. Formerlyof the US mixed with the magic of New known as the Indian diner, My RestaurantOrleans culture is the core of Le Bon Ton. and Takeaway, Express Lane is a small room loudly decorated with newspapers The absinthe and oyster salon is a late serving as wallpaper, sneakers hangingnight den with the fresh molluscs shucked from the ceiling and a blackboard menuto order and the ceremony of the infamous filled with Pho, Banh Mi and rice paper rolls.spirit - complete with water fountain and The takeaway emphasis even sees staff runsugar cubes - only add to the venue’s your order out to your car as you pull up,broody energy. A 24-hour licence allows but there is a handful of seats among thefor late nights, or very early mornings, bottles of chilli and constant crowds. 186depending which side of the clock you’re High St, Prahran; phone (03) 9939 5181.on and the decor is slick. Vintage images,bare brick walls, recycled timber furniture The third Meatball & Wine Bar hasand clever lighting create a hub for opened in Smith St, Collingwood, thatdelicious decadence. formerly housed beer bar, Josie Bones. In a few short years, meatball master and Don’t just settle for absinthe in thesalon. The front bar, managed by cocktailaficionado and professional, Evan Stanley,formerly of Black Pearl in Fitzroy, can guideyou through the American microbrewerybeers on tap or get your attention with hiscomprehensive cocktail list, including NewOrleans classic the Sazerac. 51 Gipps St,Collingwood; phone (03) 9416 4341. High Street, Prahran, in the inner-southeast, on the block between Chapel StandWilliams Rd, has quickly established itselfas good food strip. There’s The Smith Barand Restaurant, Huxtaburger, Franco44 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
sydneygrapevine ELISABETH KINGYou can’t miss China Republic. It may be hot and spicy fish fillets - which came to gemutlich decor has been swept away intucked into the World Square shopping the table wrapped in cellophane so none favour of Art Deco black and white tilescomplex but a 4m-high terracotta warrior of the delicious aromas escaped on the and mirrors over three levels. A hit withlooms outside the entrance. The replica of walk from kitchen to table. The texture of the local suits and the fashion consciousone of the first Chinese Emperor’s soldiers the fish was tender without being soft and from day one, Swine & Co places more ofadds the right imperial touch to the multi- the surrounding juices packed heat on the an emphasis on wine these days with anmillion dollar fit-out, courtesy of DS17, one tongue to deliver a surprise “package”. expansive list featuring French, German,of Sydney’s most creative design agencies. The desserts are exceptional, too. We Italian and American labels interspersedIf you want cheap Chinese eats, leave at ordered the dessert platter for two, which with their Aussie and Kiwi counterparts.once and head for Haymarket. This most features mini-versions of imperial-style But it’s even more of a vexing issue tryingambitious of Chinese restaurants is the sweets tucked into an upright wooden to choose from an edited but moreish menusort of venue you would expect to find display case. Even if you are feeling as that offers succulent listings such as blackin Hong Kong or Shanghai - no detail is full as a boot, it’s surprising how much pudding with Hervey Bay scallops, foieoverlooked. Much has been made of thePeking duck, one of the priciest dishes on room you’ll have left for the walnut parfait, gras, lime caviar and quinoa and a 400g drythe menu at $88, cooked to order in China coconut tapioca, glutinous rice balls and aged rib eye. Swine & Co, 16, O’Connell St,Republic’s two purpose-built ovens. But we rice pudding. Australia is now the world’s Sydney; phone (02) 9009 0990.chose to work our way through the menu to third most popular destination for wealthyexplore executive chef Mayson Yu’s take Chinese tourists, after France and the US. The Daily Mail springboarded an adon contemporary Chinese cuisine. To be The wine list has a five-star Hong Kong hotel campaign to attract American readers withfrank, I’ve enjoyed Peking duck at some of bias from Louis Roederer Cristal 2005 to the tagline - At Last - The Two Kims On Thethe priciest restaurants in Hong Kong and it’s cognacs and armagnacs. But there’s plenty Same Page - referencing Kim Jong-Un andmore of an “I’ve made it” symbol than a rare of expertly selected bottlings from Australia, Ms Kardashian. Tae Kyu Lee and Davidtreat after the first time. There’s a real air of New Zealand, France, the US and Italy for Ralph have also opted for the most commontheatre at China Republic, whether you are smaller wallets with equally refined tastes. A Korean name for their recently openedsecluded in one of the side booths or sitting great place to take someone you really want restaurant in Potts Point. Both chefs havein the long corridor. The only dish that might to impress. China Republic, 644 George St, manned the ranges at Quay and there’s aprompt recognition is the chef’s special Sydney; phone (02) 8081 0888. lot more on the menu at Kim than - ahemsweet and sour spare ribs, but the rest of - kimchi. Highly recommended if you needthe menu is light years away from standard I often took my eldest son to the Bavarian to “move on” from more popular AsianChinese fare. For starters, we chose the Bier Cafe in O’Connell St after footy practice cuisines. Seoul food dishes worth going outlamb and zucchini dumplings and steamed because of the gigantic portions. Following on a cold night for include yangnyum tonghalf shell scallops Sichuan-style with a frankly gorgeous redesign, this plum CBD dak (crispy fried chicken with barbecuefermented black beans. The presentation for space is now filled with Swine & Co. There’s sauce), bossam (pork belly, ssamjang,both was as precise as Chinese calligraphy still enough German dishes and draught garlic chives and kimchi) and yang muchimand the tastes measured up to the artful beer to appeal to former patrons, from the (lamb shoulder, wild sesame and chojang).display. China Republic prides itself on pork schnitzel to the sauerkraut-stuffed Finish the meal with single origin Colombiansuggested wine matches from its roam-the- Reuben sandwich. But chef Robert Taylor coffee or second harvest green tea.world wine list for certain dishes and the (ex-Manly Pavilion) prepares pork in a string Kim Restaurant, 24-30, Springfield Ave,T’Gallant Tribute Pinot Gris that went with of international guises, from suckling pig Potts Point; phone (02) 9357 4578.the steamed Patagonian toothfish confirmed croquettes with aioli and fennel to crispyou’re in safe hands. Apart from Peking pig’s tail with pine puree and grapes. The Above: Chefs Special Sweet and Sour Pork Spareduck, there are 10 signature dishes and Ribs from China Republic.we plumped for two of them - braised lambbrisket with a peanut and pepper salt, andmandarin pancakes and kung pao chicken.Again, the presentation was a knockout,with a follow-through of intense flavours. Tokeep costs down, many Chinese restaurantsuse cheaper meat cuts but you won’tencounter that MO at China Republic. Thelamb was succulent, juicy and full-favoured.Drew, the hugely knowledgeable maitre d’,recommended another signature dish - July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 45
adelaidegrapevineNIGEL HOPKINSThe recycling of century-old Adelaide buildings wine cellars, the East End Cellars in Vardon shop for those who haven’t time to visit Southinto smart little bars and restaurants continues Lane in the city’s vibrant East End. Now Australia’s wine regions.apace with the opening of the Publishers he’s fulfilled a 16-year-old dream to take it aHotel, in what was once a printery pumping major step further, moving across the lane The opening of yet another pizza bar inout copies of the Stock Journal before entering into larger premises to create an Italian-style Adelaide would be unremarkable except thatanother phase as a backpacker’s hostel. enoteca called The Tasting Room. If there this one, Tony’s Tomatoes, is an offshoot from is a place in Adelaide that could be called one of the city’s hottest restaurants, Ruby Now it’s pumping out boutique artisan beers “wine central” this is it, with 10,000 bottles in Red Flamingo, and the latest brainchild ofand a long list of wines by the glass from its store, 3500 labels from 12 countries and 300 gun restaurateur Walter Ventura and thevery relaxed retro-industrial style wine bar, international wineries, as well as 50 South RRF team Lauro Siliquini and chef Enzowhich features small sharing plates with Australian wineries represented from 15 Verdino. Tony’s pizzas come in all shapestreats such as fresh local calamari or smoked regions and sub-regions. and configurations, including eight thin-basedSpencer Gulf prawns. traditional pizzas where the dough is proved The Tasting Room will host private wine for 72 hours; four “superleggera” pizzas where But the real attraction is the restaurant dinners, international winemakers and wine the pre-cooked crisp rye, wheatgerm and oatsbehind, which demonstrates serious food and education courses as well as the usual Friday base is topped with fresh ingredients suchwine intent along with some elegant interior night and Saturday afternoon tastings, while as salmon carpaccio and salad; a retro-styledesign. Consultant chef Salvatore Pepe, also providing a congenial space in which thick base with more elaborate toppings thatwell known to many diners from his years at customers can try a selection of wines by the include roast duck and smoked, slow-cookedthe helm of Cibo Ristorante in North Adelaide, glass, gourmet cheese, sliced smallgoods, beef for the truly famished; and a dedicatedwas brought in to work with head chef Daniel toasted sandwiches and coffee. There’s a oven for gluten-free pizzas. Even the tomatoesBrooks in crafting a fine menu with highlights salute to several landmark South Australian are a feature, with only DOP certified Santhat include slow-cooked beef ribs, very slow wineries with venerable wooden beams from Marzano tomatoes used by the kitchen. Tony’sroasted crisp-skinned pork belly and smoked some of the state’s more famous cellars, Tomatoes has a quirky, off-beat style which,venison carpaccio, among other in-house including Chalk Hill, Tatachilla, Ryecroft and like its very Italian sister restaurant aroundsmoked goodies. Geoff Merill, incorporated as design features the corner, promises to be great fun. As throughout the space as roof beams and Siliquini says: “We’ve always wanted to play Aimed at a more mature wine bar clientele, the main bar. The Tasting Room is a sure with pizzas.” Like any other pizza bar, there’sthe wine list includes a seriously good sign of the growing maturity of Adelaide’s takeaway, too. 155-157 O’Connell St, Northmuseum selection from proprietor Peter food and wine offering, with Andrewartha Adelaide. Open lunch Friday, Sunday; dinnerBuick’s private collection. There are plans for commenting that during his 30 years in the Wednesday-Sunday; phone (08) 8239 0080.a two-storey rooftop bar and a larger venue wine business he’s seen a growing desirebehind the premises for events. 110 Franklin for customers to revel in the wine selection Meanwhile, Jimmy Shu, one of Australia’sSt, Adelaide. Open lunch Tuesday-Friday, and education experience. Best of all for more interesting restaurateurs, has openeddinner daily; phone (08) 8212 7969. visitors to Adelaide, it provides a one-stop- the 14th restaurant of his decades-long career, Hanuman, in the Chifley Hotel on Michael Andrewartha is well known as South Tce. It’s a sister restaurant to Shu’sthe proprietor of one of Adelaide’s finest other two Hanuman restaurants in Darwin and Alice Springs, with a menu that features Thai, Indian and Nonya dishes, including many that have long been favourites with Darwin diners, including oysters with lemongrass, sweet basil, ginger, chilli and coriander, and local mulloway cooked with turmeric, fresh curry leaf and coconut. Although located far from the city’s dining hotspots in a somewhat nondescript location, Shu is counting on Hanuman’s convenience for customers, with ample parking onsite, and his own reputation for hitting all the right buttons with his food to win the sort of trade he’s accustomed to elsewhere. Chifley Hotel, 226 South Tce, Adelaide. Open lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily; phone (08) 8359 3500. Left: Publishers dining room.46 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
brisbanegrapevine LIZZIE LOELThere’s an avian theme going down at share. Entrees are divided into cold, cured an homage to the sea, and Vietnamesethe moment in the Brisbane dining scene. and raw, hot, oysters and shellfish platters spiced, deboned quail with tofu cubes,Blackbird opened in one of the City’s most that include Moreton Bay bugs, scallops on edamame and quail egg is a classic andprime locations, right on the river in the the shell, king prawns and other seasonal contemporary east-west masterpiece.heart of the CBD. Overlooking the Story specialties. There’s a wood-burning grillBridge, the site is part of the Riverside that makes sure cuts of beef like Kobe Dish of the day goes to saltbush lambCentre and Blackbird sits directly above the Cuisine wagyu sirloin from Queensland, belly, meltingly tender and glazed toold Michael’s Riverside, one of Brisbane’s O’Conner’s rib eye and Ranger’s Valley perfection served with baby vegetables,icon venues throughout the ’80s and hangar steak are cooked to perfection. You a sticky jus and a fine sprinkle of olive.’90s, and after that the Rugby Club. It’s can choose your sauce from bearnaise, 148B Merthyr Rd, New Farm; phonethe newest chick for restaurateurs, the kampot pepper and caramelised onion. (07) 3358 6414.Ghanem Family, which owns several othervenues in Brisbane and Sydney. Byblos There’s a section for feasting as long as Continuing the avian theme is Wildat Hamilton (it’s also in Melbourne) in there are two or more of you and that includes Canary, a pretty little bistro in the lush,Brisbane’s north and Baba Ganouj, also cumin spiced slow roasted BBQ lamb leafy suburb of Brookfield, in Brisbane’sin the CBD both offer Lebanese classics shoulder, wood grilled vine-wrapped chicken outer west. Set within the large allotmentwith a modern twist, and both also offer with native thyme and lemon or the delicious- of Brookfield Nursery, the manicured lawnsgreat water views and an exotically Middle sounding Murray cod baked in paperbark and towering gums frame the charmingEastern aesthetic. Fifth Element at South with lemon aspen and pepper berries. building with a covered deck that overlooksBank is a little more Mod Oz and sits in the gardens.the middle of the major Eat Street that The bar takes pride of place overlookingis Grey St. Of all the venues Blackbird the wide reach of the Brisbane River. It’s a chef’s dream to have the spaceis the newest and most formal, with lush Elaborate furnishings - think golden and expertise to create a serious kitchenvelvet banquettes in alternating blue and upholstered chesterfields and lots of glass. garden, and chef Glen Barratt works withred, plush purple seating on an elevated There are also delicious snack menus and head gardener Alex Robinson to growdining platform, several private rooms and a cocktail list that will make you tipsy just 40 types of fragrant herbs, edible flowersan open kitchen with an adjacent fresh reading it. Open Monday-Saturday, noon- and seasonal produce that is used dailyfish and crustacean display. Chef Jake late; bar open 11.30am-late, seven days. in the “botanical bistro”. Using organic,Nicholson moved from his prestigious Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle St, Brisbane; permaculture and biodynamic principles,position of head chef at Circa the Prince phone (07) 3229 1200. the garden oozes vitality and verdantin Melbourne to head up the kitchen team goodness, and this shows up in spadesand he came with his Queensland partner, Staying the avian theme, The Foraging on the plate.sommelier Penny Grant, who manages Quail opened in New Farm recently afterthe extensive cellar. The menu delivers the a much-anticipated wait. It’s the first solo Mooloolaba prawns with chermoula onmarriage of classical techniques with local venture for chef Minh Li who has previously cous cous, roasted pumpkin, peppers andingredients and there’s plenty on offer to headed up the kitchen at Deer Duck Bistro crumbled feta is delicious with pops of in Milton, in Brisbane’s inner west, prior to pomegranate, heritage carrots and quinoa taking the plunge. with rye and grain crumble, and beetroot with spelt and goat’s cheese with a burnt The room is pretty with a largely black orange and thyme vinaigrette is health and white colour palate, and votive candles on a plate. Twice baked goat’s cheese on every whitewashed table twinkle at souffle with walnut and pear salad, and night against the dramatic black walls. the delicious roast beef toastie with Swiss The pale tiled open kitchen frames Li, who cheese, horseradish and pickles is on offer manages the pass every night, overseeing for something more substantial. his intricate dishes that showcase his prodigious talent. It’s not often you see a good wine list at a suburban cafe and this one isn’t good - There’s an eight-course degustation its awesome, clipped and eclectic. Peter menu on offer for $85 or $125 when Marchant is a well-known wine guru-about- matched with wine, or you can create town and he has amassed a clever collection your own menu to share or to have all of wines from Queensland and beyond, to yourself. Heirloom tomatoes with sifting through the less commercial labels buffalo mozzarella and samphire, and and keeping in mind the fresh, lightness milk and tonka bean shards. It’s a play of the food. Open breakfast and lunch on the age-old caprese but with exotic 8.30am - 4pm, seven days. 2371 Moggill Rd, twist. Chilli prawns, clams, scallops and Brookfield; phone (07) 3378 2805. mussels are poached and sprinkled with bonito-flavoured malto (maltodextrin) in Above: Interior of Blackbird Dining and Bar. July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 47
winewords WINEMAKERQUINN LIVINGSTONEH A R C OUR T V A L L E Y V I N E Y A R D SSKYE MURTAGHQuinn Livingstone has been tramping working harvests locally and at Harcourt farm and after high school I could not waitaround the fertile soils of Harcourt Valley Valley, before heading to Kent Rasmussen to get out of the country and move to theVineyards in the Bendigo wine region since Winery in the Napa Valley to consolidate his city. With the passing of my father 10 yearshe was in primary school. His parents, skills.The hard work paid off and Quinn has ago, there was a big decision to be madeJohn and Barb, moved the family up to now firmly made his own mark - through to either sell up or move back and take onHarcourt from Melbourne 25 years ago, his winemaking, equipment upgrades and the winemaking for the family. I must say itafter purchasing the property. Totalling complementing the winery’s own harvest was touch and go there for the first couple ofalmost 10ha - 4ha had been planted out in with quality fruit sourced from other years, but as my confidence and experiencethe mid-’70s with a diverse mix of shiraz, vineyards. Under Quinn’s watch, Harcourt grew I could see the potential for acabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, riesling, Valley Vineyards has won over 400 medals great opportunity if we stuck it out. Socabernet franc and malbec - making it the and 30 trophies - making the winery the initially it was not a great experience, butoldest commercial planting of vines in the most awarded in the Bendigo wine region. looking back 25 years on, it has been oneMt Alexander shire. Through their school that I don’t regret my parents making for me.years, Quinn and his brother, Kye, (Harcourt Tell us about your first wine experienceValley’s marketing director) helped their - was it good, bad or indifferent? How have your personal wine tastesparents improve the property - picking changed over the years and what’s yourgrapes at harvest and processing them with It’s hard to put my finger on my first wine favourite varietal these days?the winery’s old machinery. In 2004, after experience, as we moved to Harcourthis father passed away, Quinn took over Valley in 1989 and I’ve been surrounded My personal wine tastes haven’t changedthe winemaking duties - at first with some by wine ever since. So I think my first that much over the years. I’m more thanassistance, but solo since 2009. The early experience would have to be the move willing to give anything a go and nothing isdays at the helm weren’t always easy. Like to the winery. I was uprooted from Box off limits. Shiraz for me has to be drink ofhis father, Quinn had no formal winemaking Hill, leaving behind my friends and school choice because there are so many peopletraining, so set about gaining vital hands-on for a six-month stay on a winery, or so growing it in just about every region. But ifexperience - spending his first few years my parents told me. Looking back it was there is a malbec on the list, I will usually initially a difficult transition to life on the have a look.48 W I N E S TAT E July/August 2014
WINESTATE eSUvBSeCRnIBtERsHaving acquired your winemaking What’s the most important trait a Thursday 4 September 2014knowledge “in the field” so to winemaker needs to have?speak, how do you think your style Wine of the Yearof wine education has influenced Flexibility.Things change fast in the winery Subscriber Tastingyour own winemaking techniques and if you’re not ready to change thingsand philosophies? up fast, things have the potential to go National Wine Centre, ADELAIDE wrong fast. 6pm - 8 pm Having hands-on training is a great wayto get the feel for winemaking early on. What’s your favourite wine accessory? Friday 16 January, 2015I personally learn better from practical My wife. She’s always great to sharetraining than from a text book. It does Amazing Wines ofhave its limitations however, as you are a bottle with and really enhances the South Africaonly really exposed to a very narrow experience.view initially and then with experience Hyatt Regency Hotel, Perth WAyou are later able to branch out and gain What’s the one rule you always follow Tickets available to Winestateexperience elsewhere. when it comes to selecting wines for Subscribers late 2014 your own consumption?Who was your best teacher and Friday 23 January, 2015how do you continue to hone I don’t really have any rules. If I like it,your craft? I buy it. Variety, price point and region The Best of the West don’t usually play much of a part in my My best teacher was my father. He wine selection. Hyatt Regency Hotel, Perth WAwas the hardest working person I knew. Tickets available to WinestateI think the most important thing he How would you describe your personal Subscriberstaught me was to have a really strong wine collection and how do you select late 2014work ethic. Winemaking is a constant its stock and store it?learning experience and, to continue Thursday 12 February, 2015to learn, I think it’s important to go and My personal wine collection is not a largesee as many other places as possible, one by any standard, but it does change Amazing Wines of Southobserve what people are doing and often. To fill my wine fridge I go to a region Africaif there are any better or smarter and purchase enough to fill the fridge. Whenways of doing things. Sometimes there is we are down to the last few bottles we plan Sydney, NSWno better way to learn than to be hands-on our next trip (different region every time) Tickets & Location available toat another facility. and the process starts over again. Winestate Subscribers late 2014What’s been your most rewarding Currently, what’s the most coveted item Friday 10 April, 2015professional success? in your wine collection? Cabernet & Bordeaux Making wine from our estate to the best There is nothing off limits in my collection. Blendsof my ability that people want to come When we have guests around I enjoyto the cellar door and buy. Professional sending them to the cellar and getting them National Wine Center, Adelaidesuccess for me is to survive long-term to pull out whatever they want. It’s a great Tickets available to Winestatein a competitive industry - so if I’m still way of sometimes drinking a bottle you Subscribers late 2014here in another 10 years I guess I will might never find a good enough reason tohave succeeded. open and it is also a great way to clear out Friday 29 May, 2015 the wine you might never drink.What new developments are on the The World’s Greatestcards for Harcourt Valley Vineyards What type of experience do you seek Shiraz Challenge Xin 2014? to give visitors to the Harcourt Valley Vineyards tasting room? Tickets available to Winestate We are planning on pulling out a few Subscribers early 2015rows of cabernet that haven’t grown well I like to give visitors a fun experiencefor a number of years and re-planting at the cellar door. Not everyone is super Winery Entry Forms available atwith riesling. serious about wine. It is more important to www.winestate.com.au find out about the customer and see what or email Peter Jackson brought them to Harcourt Valley and then [email protected] I can try and give them an experience that Ph +61 8 8357 9277 is more about them than a generic spiel. Subscribers enjoy these events FREE Register online at www.winestate.com.au July/August 2014 W I N E S TAT E 49
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