Winestate Magazine Annual 2010

ANNUAL 2010 WINESTATE VOL 33 ISSUE 1 AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND WINE BUYING GUIDE ANNUALEdition 2010WINESTATE’S BEST WINES OF 2009 IN REVIEW TUSCAN TOUCH Multicultural merger brings new approachPRINT POST APPROVED PP565001/00129 &Surviving LEFT-FIELD GRAPES Thriving From Aligianico THE ROBERT OATLEY to Zibibbo RE-INVENTION Bay of Biscay Annual 2010 Vol 33 Issue 1 FROM RUSTIC $11.00 INC GST OLD TOWN TAPAS BARS TO SUPER- FINE DINING The pick of the crop from over 10,000 tasted includes: best of styles, new releases & regional reviews of 2009

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NO.232 ANNUAL 2010Editor & Publisher Peter Simic E-mail: [email protected] Editor Lara Simic E-mail: [email protected] Editor Michael Cooper E-mail: [email protected] Mike JaenschAdministration Vicki Bozsoki E-mail: [email protected] Director Renate Klockner E-mail: [email protected] Manager Peter Muscet E-mail: [email protected] Coordinator Sue Lumb E-mail: [email protected] DAI RubiconWinestate Web Site Justin Martin E-mail: [email protected] We’re proud of our familyNew South Wales Winsor Dobbin, Elisabeth King, Clive Hartley history with it’s strong linksSouth Australia Skye Murtagh, Joy Walterfang, Graeme Andrews, Valmai Hankel to the Barossa Region; this isVictoria Jeni Port, Hilary McNevin reflected in the way we growWestern Australia Mike Zekulich, Rod Properjohn our grapes and make our wine.Queensland Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, Andrew Corrigan MW, Lizzie Loel “Because we’re making wineNew Zealand Michael Cooper of the best quality, we start byNational Travel Winsor Dobbin growing the best quality grapes.USA Gerald D. Boyd Using techniques developedEUROPE André Pretorius, Giorgio Fragiacomo, Sally Easton MW during six generations of viticultural experience, weADVERTISING SALES prune and nurture our vines toAustralia, New Zealand & International produce the low-yield, high-Peter Muscet, Winestate Publications grade fruit from which wePhone: (08) 8357 9277 E-mail: [email protected] create our wine. From vine toTrade & Advertising website www.winestate.info wine, we strongly believe in the importance of our personalNSW, South Australia & Victoria involvement and supervision.”Winestate Magazine (08) 8357 9277 Over the last few years we haveE-mail: [email protected] changed our focus marketsQueensland and now to reflect this, weJaye Bradley Phone: (07) 3391 6633 E-mail: [email protected] are in the process of changingWestern Australia our Branding to “Neil HahnJamie O’Keeffe - O’Keeffe Media Services (08) 9381 7766 Wines”. The first wines under the new look labels are proudlyWINESTATE New Zealand Administration displayed on our website.Kay Morganty Phone: (09) 479 1253 E-mail: [email protected] www.hahnbarossa.comDISTRIBUTORSAustralia Phone: (08) 8562 3002 Fax: (08) 8562 1111Gordon and Gotch Australia P/L Email: [email protected] ZealandIndependent Magazine Distributors TRADE AND EXPORT ENQUIRIESInternational Erica Babbage Mobile +61 437 130 672DAI Rubicon Winery - Neil Hahn Mobile 0408 828 536Hong Kong & ChinaEverwise Wine Limited or +618 8562 3002AsiaEight Point DistributionUKComagBRAZILWalker DistributionUSASource Interlink InternationalWINESTATE is published seven times a year by WINESTATE PUBLISHING PTY LTD,81 King William Road, Unley SA 5061.Copyright 2010 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

contentsANNUAL 2010FEATURES THE YEAR ON 131 Riesling stands out on the island of promise REFLECTION With more and more tourists seeking out20 Battle-hardened mates reunited cellar doors, Tasmania’s wine industry keeps under a family banner After 12 months marked by the predictable fulfilling its great potential, writes Graeme The Robert Oatley family has survived the vagaries - and unpredictable disasters - in the Phillips. And despite the traditional vintage corporate world and reinvented itself as a weather, Winestate’s correspondents in Australia vagaries, 2009 produced some exceptional family wine company. Gerald D. Boyd asks and New Zealand look at how the wine industry wines, particularly riesling. the people behind the revival about the fared in their widely separated necks of the woods. recipe for their success and the future of 135 Kiwis go from success to excess Australian wine. 93 Grape varieties from the left field Consumers might be making a killing from Grape and wine glut notwithstanding, heavy discounts and exports topped $1 billion,24 Tasting the delights of a special part of Spain Joy Walterfang goes in search of good but as Michael Cooper reports, another bumper Seafaring and seafood still provide a news in South Australia and finds an harvest has left the New Zealand wine industry twofold leitmotif of Basque existence and industry branching out confidently with with too much of a good thing. identity, writes Andre Pretorius. In and new varieties exploring the alphabet from beyond this fascinating Spanish city on the aglianico to zibibbo. PLUS-THE BEST Bay of Biscay, he goes on an unforgettable OF THE BEST culinary and wine expedition. 109 Burning questions, but not all despair Extremes of weather, culminating in We revisit the most outstanding wines - rated28 Winemaker moves to a new wave of success February’s catastrophic bushfires, cast a four stars and above - that we tasted in 2009. After 13 vintages at the Lamont family winery pall over Victoria’s wine industry - although, in WA’s Swan Valley, winemaker Mark Warren as Jeni Port explains, there was some joy in 47 Best of Styles headed south to Margaret River to become a riesling revival and landmark birthdays for 78 Best of New Releases chief winemaker for Happs. Mike Zekulich two wineries. 92 Best of South Australia catches up to find out how he’s faring. 108 Best of Victoria 115 Bright lights pierce the gloom 114 Best of New South Wales30 Multicultural merger brings a new approach Apart from the Riverina, the 2009 vintage 118 Best of Western Australia An Englishman, an Italian and an Australian produced a great spirit of optimism in New 126 Best of Queensland have blended their ideas and expertise South Wales and the ACT, writes Winsor 130 Best of Tasmania to launch a decidedly different venture Dobbin. And there was also a sharper 134 Best of New Zealand in Victoria’s Heathcote region. Jeni Port focus on the importance of terroir, as well 146 Michael Cooper’s Best of 2009 Releases explores what’s happening on this special as wine tourism. patch of ground called Greenstone. 119 Western river of gold dries up Despite a 2009 vintage being described R E G U L A R S in many quarters as exceptional, the wine industry in Western Australia is being weighed down by the ripples emanating from the global financial crisis, writes Mike Zekulich. 127 Out of the ordinary and into alternatives 8 Briefs It might be an alternative area to many wine 12 European Report with Sally Easton drinkers, but it’s the alternative varieties 14 Wine Tutor with Clive Hartley that are making consumers take notice in 16 Wine Travel with Elisabeth King Queensland. Paula Tewksbury explains 18 Wine History with Valmai Hankel what’s maintaining the momentum in the 32 Wine Words Sunshine State. 32 Grapevine 39 Wine Investment & Collecting Winestate Magazine 42 What’s it Worth? Issue Number 232 44 Bookworms Annual 2010 46 How We Judge 162 Aftertaste Cover photograph © Timur Suleymanov.

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editorialW hat an amazing year we have just had! What with the global financial meltdown, oversupply of grapes, water rationing, arguments about global warming, supermarket domination, major wineries shedding assets, rising Australian & New Zealand dollars and Australian wet tax evaluation, it has been nothing but interesting. It has been a year where most individuals and organisations have had to take a good hard look at themselves, take stock, chuck out what doesn’t work and focus on what does. In some ways it was a good year for clearing out the cupboards to decide what was really important. Sometimes less is more as wineries discover that market share is not everything and that margins are way more important. Similarly, consumers have discovered that a cheaper priced wine that you can’t drink is no bargain at all! With a leaner more focussed attitude, many of us are now looking forward to next year where there will be many opportunities to make, or drink, quality wine. This magazine always has the aim to discover the best quality and best value wines in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace and we will continue that through 2010. With 10,000 wines tasted throughout the year we still remain the world’s leading tasting source for these wines. This year we saw the domination of New Zealand whites in the Australian marketplace, largely through sauvignon blanc imports, which seems to have replaced chardonnay as the white wine of choice. (Keep an eye out for New Zealand pinot gris/grigio in the coming year). Australian shiraz continues to dominate in the red category, but an oversupply at the commercial lower priced end is a concern. We are still left wondering why classic Australian semillon and riesling are not more popular, along with some world class fortifieds. Meanwhile the French are again showing us how it should be done. At the recent Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, as the Partner Country for the Fair they offered a great deal more educational participation than that provided by Australia or New Zealand. At the same time it was announced that Bordeaux is setting up a viticultural college in mainland China and a group of sixty “luxury goods” producers are combining to promote and sell all things French to the Chinese market. Who says that image and brand building doesn’t work - especially if you have government support? Continuing the theme, we are still amazed at the disparity between the low flavour, acid-water wines that dominate the liquor store and restaurant wine lists in Hong Kong and the high prices and prestige that they command. Clearly it is still an emerging market (even more so in China) and wealthy label drinkers abound. It again shows the amazing value of Australasian wines which despite continuing to win trophies around the world at major wine shows, somehow are vastly underrated. I predict that this will change rapidly in years to come as the top brands become recognised. Stock up now. At the the first Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, (with Australian senior judge Tony Jordan as chair and a panel of all Asian judges) of the 32 gold medals awarded, 13 went to Australian wines, with France and America scoring only one each. What was interesting was that Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rose was judged as “Best Wine with Braised Abalone” against allcomers, and Eden Springs took out four trophies for best red and best white overall, whilst New Zealand’s 2007 Wooing Tree Pinot Noir (which we featured in our top five this year) was awarded the trophy for Best New World Pinot Noir and Best Overall Pinot Noir. In this Annual issue of Winestate we cover the best of the best wines tasted throughout the year from Winestate new release tastings, style tastings and regional tastings. You may notice that the same wine has been tasted a number of times across different tastings, not surprisingly sometimes with different results (which again shows the value of a broader star rating system rather than the 100 point system, which can’t be statistically replicated). We are pleased to report that after a few difficult vintages, where once again Australia proved to be a “land of droughts and flooding rains” that 2009 may have turned the corner with generally pleasing reports from most regions. Let’s hope so anyway! In New Zealand, Michael Cooper reports on another “bumper harvest,” no-doubt making a number of Australian producers shiver, adding to the total amount of wine available in both countries. My big wish for 2010 is to see advertising in the major newspapers along the lines of “we don’t care how high the quality of our competitor’s wines are, we will beat them with even higher quality.” Cheers!Peter SimicEditor/Publisher Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 7

briefsWHAT GIVES OUR Research by Foster’s reveals highly unflattering consumer opinions aboutRIESLING THE EDGE Australia’s most famous white wine, with many drinkers believing it is heavy, oaky old-fashioned and a “riskier” choice than sauvignon blanc. Foster’s bossCHAIRMAN of the annual Canberra David Dearie says Australian chardonnay has improved in quality in recentInternational Riesling Challenge, Ken years, but the message has been slow to get out to drinkers, who have hadHelm, believes the single greatest quality their heads turned by sauvignon blanc.leap for Australian riesling arrived withthe screwcap. He says the aluminium The sourcing of cool climate chardonnay fruit, he argues, has been paramountcap, adopted by the majority of riesling in getting chardonnay back on track. Winemakers have also been experimentingmakers since 2001, is what keeps this with less oak, using no oak and making new styles with significantly less alcohol.country’s rieslings ahead of the overseas David says Australia’s most widely planted white grape variety deserves anothercompetition. “Until the Germans do it chance with drinkers and has called on all chardonnay producers to get behind(accept screwcap), it will remain so,” promotion of the grape. The rest is up to the drinkers.says Ken, who makes some of Australia’sbest rieslings from his vineyard at DRINKING PATTERNS CHANGEMurrumbateman, outside Canberra. THE GLOBAL economic crisis has greatly affected the way the sexes approach His comments, made at a tasting held their wine drinking and spending. According to research by the newly launchedto commemorate 29 years of Helm Wines Rieslings, are just a taste of what group, Food and Wine Insights, women are drinking less wine then men,riesling lovers can expect from his book on Australian riesling to be released spending less on wine and drinking more at home rather than in restaurants.during vintage 2010. Riesling in Australia, co-written with Trish Burgess, Group founder Stephanie Duboudin says it can no longer be assumed thatexplores the history of riesling here and gives the author’s insights into the during times of economic woe drinkers continue to consume the same amountgrape and the wine, including the source of the often controversial ‘kerosene’ but simply spend less. The group will continue researching latest trends bothcharacter sometimes found in Australian rieslings. “I believe kerosene here and overseas for the Australian wine industry.character in riesling is nothing more than a winemaking fault,” he says. “It isthe oxidising of the juice when it comes out of the crusher. It is cleaned up COLLEGE HONOURS OLD SCHOLARat fermentation but then comes back later. You won’t see it in a John Vickeryriesling, a Jeffrey Grosset riesling or well-made Australian rieslings.” LEGENDARY wine man Ian Hickinbotham already has a shelf full of awards, but his latest rates among the sweetest, coming from members of his almaFOSTER’S FIGHTS FOR CHARDONNAY mata, Roseworthy College. The Roseworthy Old Collegians Association has awarded Ian its highest honour, the award of merit, for his outstanding serviceFOSTER’S, Australia’s biggest wine producer, is worried Aussie chardonnay to agriculture. Ian graduated from the (then) Roseworthy Agricultural Collegehas a “maligned” reputation with wine drinkers in Australia and overseas. in South Australia in 1950. The college went on to become Australia’s premierChardonnay sales have been in decline since 2004 and in March this year winemaking and viticultural teaching institution and Ian went on to becomethe grape suffered the ignominy of being overtaken by sauvignon blanc as one of our greatest winemakers, working in the industry in Coonawarra,the largest selling white wine varietal in Australia by value. the Barossa Valley, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula.8 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

briefsTHE PICTURESQUE KEVIN JUDD DEBATE ABOUT PINOT AND CLIMATEIN HIS new life post-Cloudy Bay, winemaker Kevin Judd is enjoying a freedomof expression that agrees with him. He has created his own label, Greywacke PINOT noir has been called(pronounced ‘grey-wacky’), sourcing fruit from a number of vineyards in his homeregion of Marlborough in New Zealand. He has also released a best-of celebration the ‘canary in the coal mine’of his wine photography, entitled The Landscape of New Zealand Wine. when it comes to reading the Arguably New Zealand’s most celebrated winemaker, certainly on the internationalstage, for his Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc, Kevin went solo after the 2009 vintage, effect of climate change indeciding to be his own boss and creating styles that were intrinsically Judd-esqueand New Zealand in style. Like the man, his wines are measured and controlled, vineyards. Australian sparklingwith no fancy winemaking frills or embellishments. His Greywacke SauvignonBlanc ($25) will certainly strike a chord with his fans from his Cloudy Bay days. winemakers have noticed acidIt is one of seven wines he makes using facilities at Dog Point Vineyard, set up byformer Cloudy Bay colleagues Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. “There are no levels of pinot noir rising incellar hands or lab assistants at Dog Point. I’m making it,” he says. recent years, which some Away from Cloudy Bay, Kevin’s time will also be taken up with moreopportunities to explore his great passion, wine photography. The Landscape believe is an indication ofof New Zealand Wine (NZ$79.99, Craig Potton Publishing) is a magnificentglossy publication exploring the country’s diverse wine regions and giving changing weather patterns.full panoramic display to some of Kevin’s favourite vineyard scenes.Only available in Australia. Online mail order through www.craigpotton.co.nz. However, one of Australia’sKevin Judd. premier pinot makers remains unconvinced. Phillip Jones of Bass Phillip in Gippsland says his vineyard may have recently recorded some of Phillip Jones. Photo courtesy of James Broadway. its earliest vintages in years, but any relationship with climate change is “tenuous”. “I am not a sceptic about climate change but I remain to be convinced,” he says. Philip spent almost five years studying climatic data before deciding to plant his vineyard near Leongatha and the research, he says, was noteworthy for throwing up seasons of extreme temperatures - “There were six seasons I deleted because they were so extreme they skewed the overall figures.” He remembers his 1996 harvest as one of his wettest, followed by one of his hottest summers ever in 1997. At the release of his 2008 pinots in October, Philip acknowledged the ’08 vintage as “ripe”, with two “sharp peaks” of high temperatures bringing the harvest forward by two weeks. He mobilised pickers and got fruit off before the grapes reached readings above 14 degrees alcohol. However, the ’08 vintage wasn’t his hottest; he recorded 14.9 per cent alcohol in his estate pinot noir back in 1991. Tomich Wines - Passion from the land to the bottle, our award winning wines are 100% estate grown from our cool climate vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Visit our tasting room at 87 King William Road, Unley SA Proudly distributed nationally SA - Festival City Wines & Spirits 08 8349 1200 VIC - In Wine 03 9426 9000 NSW - In Wine 02 9699 6800 QLD - In Wine 0410 679 410 WA - In Wine 0407 471 588 Alice Springs - Wine Club Nick Hill 08 8952 3597 Brand Manager - Troy Smedley 0403 715 217 www.tomich.com.au Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 9

briefsSCORCHED VALLEY’S RENAISSANCE PINOT’S FLAG FLIES HIGHALMOST 12 months ago, the Yarra THE GLOBAL economic crisis has had a negligible impact on pinotphiles,Valley was an inferno. An estimated 80 if the attendance at the 10th annual Stonier International Pinot Noir Tastinghectares of vines were destroyed by (SIPNOT) showcase of world-class pinots at the Art Gallery of New Souththe tragic bushfires that swept through Wales in Sydney on September 21 was anything to go by.Steels Creek, Dixons Creek, Yarra Glen,Coldstream, Healesville and beyond - all With winemakers like Curly Flat’s Phil Moraghan, Farr Rising’s Nick Farr andprime vineyard areas. Maude’s Sarah-Kate Dineen in attendance and with leading wine writers, sommeliers and retailers in the crowd, along with a hundred or so pinot-loving The Roundstone winery was burnt to the consumers, the evening was more a look at evolving pinot styles around theground, while Punt Road lost a machinery world than a competition.shed, Domaine Chandon suffered damageto two warehouses and the boutique Surrounded by artworks, the assembled throng enjoyed the contrasts betweenImmerse winery also lost several buildings. the many expressions of pinot noir, with two brackets served blind, featuringSticks, Mandala, Yarra Yarra and St some of the best New World 2007 pinot noirs (from Australia, New ZealandHuberts were others hard hit. and California) and a selection of Burgundies from the 2006 vintage. Not only did the fires - and some Paul Henry, general manager of market development for the Australian Wineassociated smoke taint - ruin much of the and Brandy corporation, was the moderator with a panel of leading winefruit waiting to be harvested for the 2009 vintage, but the apocalyptic images journalist Huon Hooke, writer, auctioneer and wine judge Andrew Caillard MWseen around the country impacted on the region’s tourism, with potential and leading US wine educator Evan Goldstein providing expert insight.guests staying away in droves. One of the Yarra’s biggest showpieces,the Grape Grazing Festival, had to be rescheduled. Table captains shared the sometimes colourful opinions of tasters throughout the night, with questions from the floor fielded by the panel. Now the region is bouncing back - and wants drinkers to know it. Recentrains have left the Yarra - home to some of Australia’s best chardonnay, pinot Stonier winemaker Mike Symons said: “Pinot noir’s often beguiling qualitiesnoir and sparkling wine - looking green, and delegates at the Yarra Valley Wine created lots of colourful discussions and differences of opinion. Varietal typicityProgram, from sommeliers to retailers and the media, were assured the future and the differences in regional expression were of key focus. Interestingly,is looking bright, even though the weather has again been unkind. many were intrigued by the ‘context’ of how and where the wines are tasted, with discussion exploring the raft of possible views and how they may change “We’ve certainly had our challenges,” says Steve Webber, chief winemaker in a different setting and with an international audience. Are our palates trainedat De Bortoli Yarra Valley. “The drought has been a huge issue but the region a certain way for a certain ‘style’ of pinot noir?”has instigated sustainable farming practices to utilise less water and in thelong term that’s a positive. There’s nothing new about dryland farming; we CHOCOLATEcan do things well without a lot of water.” DECADENCE Steve is brutally frank about what consumers can expect from the ’09 vintage. MOST wine lovers are also chocolate“We’ve got some ordinary wines and some very interesting wines,” he says. lovers, and Vibe Hotels has teamed“Good producers will only release good quality wine and if they aren’t happy up with chocolatiers Max Brenner tothey won’t release anything.” offer an indulgent new package called Max Brenner Chocolate Indulgence @ David Bicknell, chief winemaker at Oakridge, says drinkers should appreciate that Vibe. The package includes overnightmany Yarra Valley producers are boutique producers, or artisans competing against accommodation, full buffet breakfast formajor corporations. “The big thing is we are moving away from winemaking being a two and a Max Brenner BODY gift packmechanical process to being a philosophical process,” he says. “We are all trying created exclusively for Vibe Hotels.to apply techniques that are sympathetic to the region. A lot of what winemakers The pack includes caramelised pecans rolled in rich praline and fine cocoaare taught is how to make wines that all taste the same - and customers are bored powder, an embroidered face towel and Ivory Coast Cocoa Butter bubblewith that and as a region we’d like to align ourselves with craft production rather bath - a decadent chocolate experience with prices starting from $175 a night.than industrial production. We’d hope that as people realise what we are doing here Book online at www.vibehotels.com.au or call 13 VIBE.they’ll stop buying imported wine and get behind a region that’s taken a belting.”BURGUNDY CELEBRATIONS DANDELION FLOWERSTARRAWARRA Estate in the Yarra Valley is holding ‘Burgundy Sundays’ LEADING wine marketer Zar Brooks has launched his own label, Dandelionon the first Sunday of every month. Visitors are welcome to bring a Vineyards, in partnership with grapegrower Carl Lindner - and the wines arebottle of their favourite Burgundy from their own cellar to enjoy with made by Zar’s wife Elena. The Dandelion Vineyards wines sell for aroundlunch at the WineBar, or to choose from a list of Burgundies selected $25 a bottle and are made from proven vineyard sources. “We grow our ownby the TarraWarra team, including good-value Village and Cru wines, grapes and source from the best of family vineyards,” Zar says. “Our wish isas well as some older vintages and Grand Cru offerings. The WineBar to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terroir inoffers a two-course menu including coffee for $55 and three courses our wines. We believe that to capture variety, vintage and vineyard requiresfor $65. A $10 corkage fee applies to any bottle of BYO Burgundy. an enlightened approach. Separating single sites, and even single soil types,Contact (03) 5957 3510 for reservations. vine by vine if need be.” See www.dandelionvineyards.com.au.10 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

briefsLABELS WITH IMAGINATION ALLERGY NO BARRIERWINEMAKERS, artists and would-be artists A WINEMAKER who ishave got together to release the 2009 allergic to alcohol scoopedrange of Wine Of Design labels, which the pool when the 40bring high-profile Australians from various finalists for the 2009 NSWindustries together to produce a limited- Wine of Year awards wereedition wine range, with all proceeds announced. Teetotallergoing to Make Poverty History. Bill Calabria, from Griffith family winery Westend Project founder Rory Kent began Estate, had no fewer thanWine Of Design three years ago in five wines named amongan effort to raise funds for charity the finalists - more thanwhile also seeing an opportunity to any other winery. The top 40 wines were selected from over 800 judged byinspire innovation in the design of a panel of 20 wine experts over two days.wine labels. “Why shouldn’t labels beinnovative?” he asks. “Engaging high- Bill suffers from a rare allergy to the acid in wine but says, “You don’t have toprofile Australians across different swallow to know whether a wine is good or bad.” Joining Westend Estate with moreindustries to design a label - where than one wine in the finals were Hunter Valley wineries Briar Ridge (three), Audreythe only barrier is imagination - has Wilkinson, Hungerford Hill and Swish Wines/Warraroong Estate with two each.high appeal to those who appreciatewine, no matter how old they are. The PATRIOTIC PREFERENCESrange’s quality and limited availabilityjust adds to the appeal. This year’s A NATIONAL survey of wine drinking habits by one of Australia’s largest hotelcollaboration has exceeded everyone’s groups, Mercure, has shown a distinct preference for wines from the local state.expectations in terms of product There was some experimentation with newer varietals such as pinot gris/grigioquality, from the grapes to the label for whites and tempranillo and sangiovese for reds, but generally red winedesigns, through to final gift boxes. drinkers voted for the most traditional of reds - shiraz - even if it increasinglyAs a result, we’re hoping sales exceed involved an added dollop of viognier in the blend. Not so fortunate was anothereveryone’s expectations as well.” old Australian favourite, riesling, which continued to garner only minority interest, despite its popularity with judges and other professionals. Those involved in the 2009 releaseinclude Sass & Bide, chef Matt Moran, The survey was conducted across the Mercure network, which comprisesNick Littlemore from Empire of the 23 hotels in every state of Australia. Each hotel surveyed wine drinking habitsSun, artist Anthony Lister, producer in their bars and restaurants to determine changing trends over the past twoSam LaMore, plus Susan Dimasi and years. The results were compiled and released as part of the launch of theChantal Kirby, the duo behind the Mercure Grands Vins spring/summer wine selection.Materialbyproduct fashion label. Mercure Grands Vins offers guests staying or dining at Mercure hotels Each limited edition bottle, from makers including Phi, Mount Langi Ghiran, around Australia specially designed wine lists showcasing the most attractiveColdstream Hills and Yarra Burn, comes with an individually numbered wines of their local state. There are specific regional lists compiled for NSW,booklet featuring information about each designer’s artistic concept and Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland - andinspiration. Wines are available through www.winesalon.com.au and at fine Mercure is the first major hotel group in Queensland to offer a specialist winewine retailers listed at www.wineofdesign.com.au. selection for that state.WILLOW BRIDGE’S STAR RECRUIT SOMMELIER STARDOMSIMON Burnett, who spent seven years working on the Cape Mentelle FRANCK Moreau, group sommelier with the Merivale group, is one stepwinemaking team, is the new senior winemaker at Willow Bridge Estate in closer to becoming Australia’s first resident Master Sommelier. FifteenWestern Australia’s Ferguson Valley, taking up his new post in early November sommeliers from restaurants around the world took part in the recentin the lead-up to the production of Willow Bridge’s 2010 vintage. Court of Master Sommeliers 2009 Advanced Certificate course and examinations in London, culminating in challenging theory, practical and Willow Bridge Estate owner Jeff Dewar says appointing a winemaker of tasting examinations.Simon’s calibre is significant for the winery. “We know Simon will be an assetto our team. He brings with him a great deal of local experience and expertise, Franck was one of just five sommeliers who made it through toand we are excited about future plans he has for the winery.” be awarded their Advanced Certificates. Burgundy-born Franck says, “The Court of Master Sommelier program is very professional. Simon says the post offers him an interesting challenge. “Willow Bridge It pushes you to learn more, to reach a high standard of service andEstate has made a strong name for itself over the past decade. It’s a to know not only Australian wines, but wines of the world. The coursefive-star Halliday winery, which is a big achievement. Willow Bridge is a is internationally focused, with knowledge and skills that will allow youpioneering winery in the Ferguson Valley and the quality of wines being to work anywhere.”produced is extremely high.” Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 11

europeanreport WORDS SALLY EASTON MWLearning the tricks of lower alcoholTHE ISSUE of lower alcohol wines has been hitting limited palate appeal. But a company specialising owns (also Chateaux Fombrauge in St Emilion andthe vinous headlines a year on from when European in supplying only lighter alcohol wines defends their La Tour Carnet in the Medoc).Union legislation changed to allow the use of space flavour profile. David Stevens, winemaker at TFCage kit to remove alcohol from wine. The kit in Wines, says: “The flash of genius for the spinning For more regular tourists, visits to chateaux,question is either reverse osmosis units or spinning cone was they figured out the aromas in the wine meeting the owners, and doing harvest workshops,cone technology, the latter of which is effectively a come off first, at a lower temperature. These are blending workshops, or food and wine pairingdistillation under vacuum at modest temperature, extracted and set aside in a tank. The wine is run workshops are more the order of the day. A groupafter which the wine is reconstituted once the [through the cone] a second time and ethanol is of women owners of left bank properties, callingdesired amount of alcohol has been removed. the next most volatile. Then the aromas are added themselves Les Medocaines, have joined togetherPretty high-tech, but it’s already used outside of back in.” He says the wine is in the cone for a matter to offer just such a portfolio of touristic opportunity.EU, so Europe’s kind of playing catch-up. of seconds, and the temperature reaches body Visitors are guaranteed to meet two of the owners temperature (37C), which some might argue is still personally during a visit to two of the properties. For wines to be sold in EU countries, up to two pretty warm for wine, especially white and rose.per cent alcohol can now be removed. Given that The Bordelais are also beginning to see the benefitshalf of what Britain drinks comes from New World A simple alternative is to just add (sparkling) water of mixing wine and cultural tourism. Australia maycountries where alcohol levels regularly exceed at home to lower the alcohol, but by definition this have the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney14 per cent, taking a degree or two out could will dilute the wine. For everyday drinking this is fine, Opera House listed as UNESCO world heritage sites,help a great deal in terms of the country’s total but I may not want to do it with my long-cellared, but vinous France is positively littered with UNESCO-alcohol consumption: per capita consumption long-revered Bordeaux. Different occasions. protected sites, with more than just a smattering in the Bordeaux region. Most of Bordeaux city was listed inHe says the wine is in the cone for a matter of seconds, and the temperature reaches bodytemperature, which some might argue is still pretty warm for wine, especially white and rose. of around 27 litres of 14.5 per cent alcohol wine BORDEAUX DISCOVERS TOURISM 2007, after a decade of urban restoration and renewal. equals 392 UK units. If this was 27 litres at 13 per The city is now a joy to visit in its own right, rather than cent, that saves around 41 units, or about two Sticking with Bordeaux, but on a more joyous theme, a stop-off point en route to the wine areas. weeks’ recommended drinking guidelines (the these guys are beginning to successfully play catch- UK and Australian drinking units and guidelines up on the wine tourism front. It used to be almost Over on the right bank, the historic town and differ). Consumers are becoming receptive to impossible to travel north of Bordeaux into the vineyards of St Emilion celebrated a decade of wines lighter in alcohol, especially rose wines, Medoc, rock up at a chateau and be welcomed to protection under UNESCO in 2009. And further and supermarkets are expanding their ranges to tour and taste. It’s still pretty difficult in many cases, north on the right bank, more recent addition are meet this demand. without a prior appointment, but a growing band of the fortifications at Blaye. Sebastien Le Prestre producers is welcoming tourists. de Vauban (1633-1707) was an important military Of course in Europe, which is inherently cooler engineer who designed and built many fortifications. than the vast majority of new world winemaking One of the challenges for producers is that usually The impressive ones at Blaye, on the right bank of the regions, there are several styles of wine that are they only have one or two wines to show - the ‘grand Gironde, did a good job of keeping out attacks from naturally lighter in alcohol. German rieslings are vin’, or chateau, label, and maybe a second wine the sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. Blaye is on probably the best known. In countries such as from younger fruit or casks considered not good a slight promontory, making this part of the Gironde Australia and California, early attempts to lighten enough for the main wine. That’s potentially a pretty the narrowest point before the river flows straight into the alcoholic load involved early harvests, when short tasting. Of just red wine. Bordeaux. Additional fortifications on the other bank less sugar had accumulated in the grapes. The and on an island effectively cut off access. downside here is that not all the flavour or acidity This isn’t a problem where individuals or has ripened. corporate proprietors own several properties and And the wider Bordeaux area of south-western can show all the wines at each property. Bernhard France has several monuments on the Middle There are also downsides to using the high- Magrez has done this especially well at Chateau Ages pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela: tech kit, not least of which are perceptions of Pape Clement, in the suburbs of Bordeaux, in the the church in Soulac, the cathedral of St John the compromised flavour, structure and texture. Graves. Wines from all 35 of his vineyards across Baptist in Bazas (great beef from here too) as well Alcohol is well known to provide body, texture Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, Iberia and South as the ruins of the Benedictine abbey of Sauve and structure to wines, and anyone having tasted America can be tasted. Moreover, the seriously Majeure in Entre-Deux-Mers. Bordeaux really is the ‘de-alcoholised’ wines of old will attest to their wealthy can even stay at the chateau, or fly in a finally finding its wine/culture/food feet. helicopter between the Bordeaux chateaux he12 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

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winetutor WORDS CLIVE HARTLEYQuiet revolution of the underappreciated rieslingHow do you like your riesling? Well, it’s a flawed about sweetness and can be botrytis-affected, Asian/fusion food when it’s young but with somequestion because riesling sales are not exactly but you can still get a dry auslese, which will have age it develops more complexity and the rangegoing through the roof, so there is a good chance higher than normal alcohol level (confused yet?). of foods it works with also grows. Wines like thisyou haven’t had a bottle recently. But is this much The final two classifications - beerenauslese (BA) - with good acid, low pH and 10-20g/l RS have,disparaged grape variety about to come of age? and trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) - are rich, sweet in my opinion, the best cellaring potential - if youMany consumers still think of riesling as being a wines produced from overripe, botrytis-affected have 20-30 years up your sleeve!” Belinda is alsocheap, old-fashioned variety and cringe at the grapes. As an addendum, eisweins are produced experimenting with lees contact and fermentingthought of a sweet and nasty German wine they when the grapes are picked while frozen. The in old puncheons.had in their youth. However, a quiet revolution is most impressive, and expensive, dry Germantaking place in the world of riesling. Australians rieslings are coming from producer organisations It is these varying amounts of sweetnessare now making German styles, and the Germans such as the VDP and labelled as either Erstes in riesling, and the fact that there is often noare making Australian styles. New Zealand Gewachs or Grosses Gewachs wines. identification to the style on the label, that isrieslings, often labelled dry but really an off-dry confusing the drinking public. What a Germanstyle, sit somewhere in between. Winemakers are In Australia, while our traditional dry rieslings or Kiwi describes as dry an Aussie would thinkfiddling around with oak and skin contact, some still dominate the market, there seems to be a as off-dry. That’s why the International Rieslingrieslings are released with a little bottle age and, growing trend to release a riesling with some Foundation (IRF, thankfully they didn’t call it anto top it off, new international classifications are residual sugar. These vary enormously. Victorian Alliance) has developed a voluntary Rieslingappearing on labels. winemaker Mac Forbes draws on his winemaking Taste Profile with recommended technical experiences in Austria and extensive travels in guidelines for winemakers and a useful dryness/ Take the home of riesling, Germany, for instance. Germany to make four very different styles of sweetness scale for consumers. Wines areTraditionally speaking, you could have your pick of riesling sourced from Strathbogie Ranges fruit. placed on a scale from dry, through medium-drystyles ranging from kabinett through to eiswein. But The RS on his labels indicates his approach and medium-sweet to sweet.This is a bizarre wine with lemon custard, citrus floral and almost Peter Monro, senior winemaker in charge ofred fruit aromas; but with a structure of fine, supple tannin. Leo Buring, likes the IRF scale because it takes into account the pH, acid and the sweetnesson a recent trip to the Rheingau and Rheinhessen to residual sugar in the wine. “Our RS37 is the of a wine, which makes the scales based onthe first question I was asked when visiting a first fruit picked - tighter and more citrus-driven, perceived sweetness rather than relying onproducer was, “Do you want to try our traditional with some slight herbal notes. The RS9 is the simply residual sugar. Leo Buring is releasingrieslings or our modern, dry styles?” It was like a second-picked fruit, showing slightly more fruit three Eden Valley rieslings with the IRF scalefork in the road; I had to make a choice. spectrum, which pushes into white melon and on them. “Historically, Leo Buring produced a citrus. It gives more breadth on the palate. The spatlese-style in the 1970s, which is similar to Traditionally, Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP) ‘Tradition’ was picked with the RS9 fruit but had the new medium-sweet style we have released.is the top classification for traditional German three months on skins. This is a bizarre wine So in a way we have returned to what waswine and means ‘quality wine with distinction’. with lemon custard, citrus floral and almost red traditionally produced,” says Peter. It seemsThese wines have not been chapitalised. There fruit aromas; but with a structure of fine, supple the new wave of residual sugar rieslings is aare six sub-categories determined by the grapes tannin.” Food and wine matching is interesting winemaker-driven trend and a rebuff to drymust weight measured in degrees oechsle. All with these wines. “I think foods higher in fats and styles. “If you look at Leo Buring wines pre-have residual sugar so kabinett, even at the protein, such as pork, are a fantastic pairing,” 2000 they all had around 4g/l of RS but thenlight/dry end of the spectrum, will have a touch Mac adds, and I agree. progressively we went dryer over the next fewof sweetness to it. Spatlese is regarded as being vintages. The new wines are about getting more‘late picked’, but not as we would imagine it. Potential ageing is another side to riesling. texture and roundness on the palate,” PeterOften you can read spatlese as simply meaning Belinda Gould runs Muddy Waters in New explains. Eden Valley grapes were chosenriper grapes were used. In fact, the modern Zealand’s Waipara region. “We lease a block of because they are of a more linear acid profile,dry rieslings I referred too are often labelled as riesling which supplies the fruit for our James which makes them more suitable for producingspatlese trocken - in other words, a late-picked Hardwick Riesling - this is around the 15g/l medium-dry and medium-sweet styles, aswine fermented to dryness. Auslese level is all RS mark depending on the year. It’s good with opposed to Clare riesling. All in all, riesling is in a state of flux, but has a lot going for it.14 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

“Australasia’s Best Riesling” According to Winestate Magazine 2010 Annual Edition Secure your stocks of our current release at just $150 per dozen including delivery within Australia, and save $90 dozen The current release, the 2009 Frankland River Riesling, celebrates 30 years in the wine industry for Philip May, winemaker of The Growers. The wine is once again dedicated to his winemaking uncle and early mentor, Br John May S.J. of Sevenhill Cellars. Order online at www.thegrowers.com THE GROWERS Hand Crafted Wines Telephone + 61 8 9755 2121 Fax + 61 8 975 2286

winetravel WORDS ELISABETH KING Revelling in Rio, the magnet of BrazilWHEN I first visited Rio de Janeiro in the early 1990s, was coming, the new Brazilian architecture was in 2004 to become InBev, the world’s largest beerBrazil’s most hedonistic city was experiencing a coming, and it was very modern and upscale.” company. The other major beer name to remembersharp drop in tourism arrivals. The global recession Feel the beat again, so to speak, in the hotel’s in Brazil is Kaiser, which alludes to the fact that, asof the time, the country’s political turmoil and an rooftop infinity pool and Fasano al Mare, the in- in most New World countries, Germans founded theincrease in crime had dimmed its carefree Fred house restaurant which serves deeply delicious national brewing industry.Astaire and Gingers Rogers Flying Down to Rio Italian seafood dishes. The wine list matchesimage. How times change. Today, this most with many imported Italian wines, or go local with The best time to visit Rio is during Carnival inbeautiful of cities still has many blights but it Chilean and Argentinian bottlings at the top of their February, one of the grandest shows on Earth. Thepulled the rug from under Chicago’s feet with its game and price brackets. action takes place in Rio’s Sambodrome, which hassuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. A two vast grandstands that seat 70,000 people andflying visit to Copenhagen by President Obama Madonna and Sting have was designed in 1984 by Brazilian architect Oscarto spruik for his adopted home of Chicago just Niemeyer. Rio’s top 16 samba schools competewasn’t enough to sway IOC voters from anointing made the Satyricon a go-to and each school of 3000 to 5000 members presentRio the winner. a different song and theme each year. It’s a sight eatery for its eclectic specialities, and feeling not easily forgotten. The Girl from Ipanema, that immortal anthem ofRio’s good life, still plays in elevators in supermarkets including the juiciest of whole Many travellers spend their entire time in Rioall over the world and the whispery lyrics of Astrud on the beach. In a word: don’t. On a clear, sunnyGilberto fuel tourist fantasies as strongly as they fish cooked in rock salt. day, Rio is best viewed from the landmark Christever did. The legendary white beach stretches out the Redeemer statue atop the 710m Corcovadofor nearly two kilometres under the two peaks of There’s no need to hang around the hotel all mountain. Over 300,000 visitors a year makethe Dois Irmaos, making a movie set background day, as supermodel Naomi Campbell does when their way to this iconic spot every year by taxi orfor beach soccer, girls in thong-style bikinis and she stays at the Fasano. Ipanema is bloated with funicular. If the $US28 fare is too steep, you canwandering masseurs. The neighbourhood is still trendy restaurants and watering holes. Madonna hike to the top but you should be pretty fit and allowchic, too, and houses many of Rio’s smart boutiques, and Sting have made the Satyricon a go-to eatery two hours for the climb. Another amazing spot isrestaurants and nightclubs. for its eclectic specialities, including the juiciest of the Tijuca National Forest, a 32 square kilometre whole fish cooked in rock salt. Rogerio Fasano also expanse that surrounds the famous statue and Despite its glamorous image, a shortage of hotels owns the Gero Rio, voted the best Italian restaurant which lays claim to the title of largest urban forestto match has long been the downside of a visit to in Rio, which is also a magnet for the city’s high in the world. Known as the green lungs of Rio, it’sRio. Hotel towers built in the 1970s line many of flyers for its pasta and seafood dishes. where locals come to walk the hiking trails andthe city’s beaches and the default booking was picnic on a giant granite slab called Mesa doalways the legendary Copacabana Palace, built If you think the tall blonde girl that just walked Imperador (Emperor’s Table).in the 1920s and the home away from home of into the Bar d’Hotel looks like Gisele Bundchen, itnearly every president, celebrity and world leader could be the supermodel herself. Soccer demi-god If you want to see the life of a colonial aristocrat,who landed at Rio’s airport - a fast 40-minute drive Ronaldhino also drops by regularly for a cooling head for the Villa Riso (ww.villariso.com.br), aaway. It’s easy to see why. The beach service, with beer. If you fancy a late afternoon stroll, one of gorgeously restored 19th century home andcomplimentary water and fruits, the fabulous pool the best ‘soft drink’ outlets near the beach are gardens. Originally a sugar cane plantation, it isbar and the Hotel Cipriani restaurant, which serves the street stalls selling fresh coconut juice. The open daily but the best day to visit is Sunday for thesome of the best Italian cuisine in Rio, keep the vendors simply slice off the top of coconuts with a legendary lunch buffet. A jazz ensemble and staffhotel feeling as swish as it ever was. machete and pop in a straw so there’s no worries dressed in colonial garb accompany an extravagant about hygiene. buffet of Brazil’s national dish, the hearty pork Back at Ipanema, though, the hangout of the and black bean feijoada, rich coconut-flavouredbeautiful people finally got the luxury hotel it Mingling with the surfers at Arpoador Beach, a prawns, salads, half a continent of tropical fruits anddeserved two years ago with the opening of the rocky outcrop at the edge of Ipanema, could provide Portuguese inspired sugar and egg desserts.Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro (www.fasano.com. you with a crash course in Brazilian beers. Brazil isbr). The handiwork of Brazilian restaurateur- the world’s fourth largest beer market, producing Much of Rio’s nightlife is concentrated inhotelier Rogerio Fasano and avant-garde French 9.8 billion litres each year. The market leader is Lapa, once the city’s main transvestite beat. Thedesigner, Philippe Starck, the 91 rooms are AmBev with a 69 per cent market share through its trannies are still there, but a host of new bars andscattered with mid-20th century collectables that Brahma, Antarctica, Bohemia and Skol brands. As restaurants have opened up. The more popularevoke one of Rio’s golden eras - the ’50s and keen observers of the world’s brewing market know, ones feature live samba music and there’s always’60s. “At that time,” says Rogerio, “Rio was one of AmBev merged with the Belgian brewer Interbrew a long line of tourists at the more popular venuesthe best cities in the world to live in. Bossa nova such as Carioca da Gema and Rio Scenarium. There are plenty of street vendors flogging beer16 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

on the streets of Lapa, though, if you want to stickto a tight budget. Hangover ‘treatments’ of acaiberries with toasted muesli are available from thecity’s ubiquitous juice bars, where you can alsocure a morning thirst with a wide choice of exotic,freshly squeezed juices. Cachaca, a rum-style liquor made from sugarcane, is still one of the most popular drinks in Brazil.If authenticity is your drinking style, head for theBar do Gomes in Santa Teresa, a nicotine-staineddrinking den where the decor hasn’t changed sinceit opened in 1919. It’s perfectably respectable,though, and frequented by grandmothers, artistsand businessmen drawn to its 100-variety cachacacollection and ‘stupidly cold’ beers. Nearby is oneof the neighbourhood’s best restaurants - EspiritoSanto - where chef Natacha Fink serves up cozhinaamazonica, a modern take on traditional Braziliancooking. If you’re game, start with piranha soup(they are dead) with coconut milk and spices. Buta must-have is the feijoada rolo - rice rolls filledwith black beans and meat. As in most South American countries, meat is kingat the dining table in Brazil. Don’t eat anything elseon the day of a visit to Porcao. Part of a churrascariachain with locations scattered throughout Rio, theone in Ipanema is considered the best. The namemeans ‘big pig’, which should prepare you for a meatlover’s bounty of pork, chicken, several cuts of beefand sides of black beans, cheese balls and moredelivered to your table. Fruit and alcohol cocktailsare served to ‘cut’ the richness of the meat, but followthe advice of local doctors and go swimming for aweek after a meal here. I’m only kidding, but it iswise to stay out of the water for a day as your bodyweight will have certainly increased. The inhabitants of Rio are very helpful and charming,but it still pays to take extra care. Stay on well-litstreets and public places and don’t wear expensivewatches and jewellery or carry MP3 players or thelatest cameras. Don’t take more money with you thanyou need, either. You don’t want carelessness to marone of the best overseas trips ever. Getting there: Two of the easiest ways to fly toRio from Australia are with Qantas in conjunctionwith LAN Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas inconjunction with Emirates. Return economy airfaresrange between $1500 and $2200. Go to jetabroad.com.au for more information and bookings. Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 17 9924-WSA 2010 ad 2_P.indd 1 10/29/09 10:46:43 AM

winehistory WORDS VALMAI HANKEL Preaching to the unconverted: early promotion of Australian wines - Part 1WHY DID sales of table wines in Australia almost believed that education was needed: “There can promotions executive. Evans remembered his earlydouble from 3,848,000 gallons in 1962-63 to be no lucrative and prosperous Wine Industry days there: “No one directed me except the two7,408,000 gallons in 1966-67? And why did red without it,” he wrote. But it took some time for the committee members who had hired me, and theirwine sales rise by 150 per cent between 1964-65 board to heed Laffer’s exhortation. advice was casual to say the least. I was given aand 1969-70? The main reasons were promotion tiny, glass-partitioned office among the main roomsand the growth of information and education The board soon changed its name to the less of the Wine and Brandy Producers Association ofavailable for would-be wine drinkers, through cumbersome and more accurate Australian Wine New South Wales. The rest of the staff regarded mebooks, magazines, advertising and tastings; and Board. It existed until June 1981, when it was as a curiosity and left me to my devices.”advancements in viticulture and winemaking succeeded by the Australian Wine and Brandymethods which improved wine quality. Corporation, established under the provisions of Evans suggested forming the Australian Wine the AWBC Act of 1980. Bureau, “to incorporate and expand the tasting role Today, we take the wine information explosion of the various state wine and brandy associations”,for granted. The proliferation of wine words for Until 1954 the Australian Wine Board had and was its first director. It would employ managersthe general public, as opposed to winegrowers, a statutory responsibility to promote exports in each state, and would find top journalists whohas taken off in Australia only in the past 50 years. rather than encourage wine and brandy liked wine. “Instead of buying space to promoteThe fetchingly titled and elegantly written books drinking in Australia. For various reasons wine, we would buy people who would get theby Walter James, among them Barrel and Book, domestic consumption of wine was minuscule: space free,” Evans said. “I talked wine, wrote aboutNuts on Wine and The Gadding Vine, published for instance, before 1939, Australians drank wine, organised wine people, laughed a lot, arguedfrom 1949 to the early 1960s, were different from about three-quarters of a gallon of wine per a lot and often felt very frustrated.” He resignedanything published in Australia to that time, and did head, an insignificant amount, especially when in May 1967. The board congratulated him on hismuch to get non-wine drinkers interested in wine. compared with the French, who got through 36 “energy and efficiency”. gallons a head. It is fascinating to look through the publicityAt first Stow made a straight shiraz but later decided it was more which the board issued in the press of the day and in booklets, a decade before Len Evanssuitable for blending - unfortunately we are not told with what. started. Much of its advertising in the mid- to late 1950s was targeted at women, with full-page and Magazines and newspaper columns for wine An amendment to the Wine Overseas Marketing smaller advertisements appearing regularly in theconsumers were virtually unheard of in Australia Act in November 1954 allowed the board to magazines Woman’s Day and Australian Women’suntil Len Evans started writing for The Bulletin in promote wine and brandy at home. It immediately Weekly. Brandy and fortified wines as well as table1962: his column was almost certainly the first planned the Australian National Wine Advertising wines were promoted. “Life is more pleasant withregular series of articles published nationally Campaign, which ran for a year from August 1955. WINE” was a major message. It was assumed thatabout Australian wine. He began his own monthly This, the first ever national wine promotion, was the reader had little or no knowledge. “Cool whitemagazine, The Wine Buyer, the first in Australia funded from the annual grape levy. Advertisements table wines” were “the natural drink all summer”,devoted to wine appraisal, in April 1968. From May appeared in the press, and 500,000 information and “the nicest introduction to the wonderful wine1966 the funky magazine The Epicurean brought booklets on wine found their way throughout family”. These wines ranged from “semi-sweeta sophisticated readership to appreciate the finer the country. After an early hiccup over funding, [sic!] (Sauternes) to dry (hock, chablis, mosellepoints of wine and food. the campaign, which especially promoted table [sic!], riesling)”. So as not to be embarrassed wines, was most successful and ran for several by ignorance when ordering these wines, you One organisation whose role in promoting years: sales of table (including sparkling) wines, were told how to pronounce them: “reezling”, forAustralian wine in Australia and overseas is little for instance, increased from 1,753,000 gallons in example. Red table wines were “light and fresh, yetknown today, especially among consumers, is 1955-56, the campaign’s first year, to 5,835,000 richly palate pleasing. There’s nothing better withthe Australian Wine Board, created in 1929 as gallons 10 years later. any meat meal (wonderful in cooking too!)”.the Wine Overseas Marketing Board resultingfrom the Wine Overseas Marketing Act. One of On 1 January 1965 the Australian Wine Board We’ll look at more of the advertisements next time.the board’s first tasks was to open an office in took a momentous step when it selected “a special *This glance at the Australian Wine Board’sLondon, in October 1930, in an attempt to sell officer” to do “promotional work for wine on a promotional activities has been prompted by themore Australian wine in the United Kingdom. H.E. national scale”. This “special officer” was none other discovery of a publicity album for the board, from theLaffer was the board’s overseas representative than Len Evans, who held what James Halliday has mid-1950s to the early 1970s. It is currently held bythere from 1930 to 1949. The perceptive Laffer described as “the somewhat quaint title” of national the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation.18 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

Serafino Wines at McLarens on the Lake Winery Convention Centre Resort Hotel Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale, South AustraliaPh 08 8323 0157 Fax 08 8323 0158 Email [email protected] www.serafinowines.com.au



&Surviving ThrivingBATTLE-HARDENED MATES REUNITED UNDER THE OATLEY FAMILY BANNER GERALD D. BOYDTHE GLOBAL wine industry tends to be fluid and deputy executive chairman of the new wineever-changing. Not long ago, New World wineries, company. Joining them is Bob’s son Sandy, aslike those in the Old World, were mostly family- executive chairman.owned. In recent years, though, the structureof the industry worldwide has moved toward I caught up with Chris recently in Sonoma,corporate ownership and away from the family. California, and he looks as fit, albeit a little older,So it’s refreshing to see that the Robert Oatley than when we first met in the Hunter Valley infamily has survived the corporate world and then 1986. We talked about Robert Oatley Vineyardsreinvented itself as a family wine company. but I also wanted to hear from him about what had happened with Rosemount. His straightforward Bob and his long-time friend and associate, Chris reply was a bit of a surprise. “With me beingHancock, are veteran wine men who display the out of action for so long in the ‘90s [due to a lifedon’t-quit tenaciousness of Aussies who won’t let threatening battle with cancer] and, in fact withlife’s hard knocks kick the legs out from under a fairly dire prognosis, Bob needed to boost thethem. The story of Bob’s reign with Rosemount, the management side of the business, so he broughtinterim period as a grower, then the resurrection in Keith Lambert, his son-in-law, who grewof his role as vintner is now part of Australian wine Rosemount into a big financial success.lore. In 2001, he agreed to his Rosemount Winesbeing absorbed by Southcorp in one of those “Bob had suggested a merger betweenbusiness ventures that somehow never work as Rosemount and Southcorp, but Southcorp washoped. Chris Hancock, resigned from his long-time going through some changes and the synergiesjob at Rosemount in 2005 when Southcorp was with both companies didn’t work. It was a flawedabsorbed by Foster’s. business plan driven on price and a family culture against a corporate culture. I went to Now, Bob and Chris are back working together, work for Southcorp, but Bob wasn’t satisfiedand neither has lost the fire that brought them into with the arrangements and he sold his shares inthe wine business in the first place. Bob bounced Southcorp to Foster’s. I declined to join Foster’s,back with Robert Oatley Vineyards, based in although I did choose to stay on as a consultantMudgee, and Chris is at the centre of the new for a year and then I returned to the Oatleys tooperation with his old friend and employer, as start up a new wine business.” Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 21

We’ll never go back into the Hunter. The northern part of the valley has been destroyed by open-pit coal mines.22 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

L-R: James Manners, Larry Cherubino, Chris Hanock, Peter Hayes, Bob Oatley, Sam Hayne and Sandy Oatley. With all that disappointment, it’s a wonder that Cherubino have produced a range comprising a and low water utilisation, helped by the CudgegongBob returned to the wine business and Chris 2008 Mudgee Chardonnay, a 2008 Margaret River River that flows through Mudgee then feeds into thefollowed. “It’s in the blood,” said Chris. “Bob and Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc, a 2007 Frankland Murray-Darling.” In general, though, he believesretained some of his vineyards in Mudgee and River and Mudgee Shiraz, and a 2007 Margaret Australian viticulture is suffering from the drought.I suppose the decision was probably a bit of a River and Mudgee Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. “Some growers can’t get water at any price andsense of unfinished business.” He said that when this affects the wine market throughout the country.the Oatleys owned Rosemount they sourced good Chris describes the Robert Oatley style as “wines By contrast, the southern part of the continent hasgrapes from many parts of the Hunter Valley, but that drink nicely with food but don’t intrude on the had its best winter rainfall for many years. There ishe added regretfully, “We’ll never go back into the food flavours. Above all, we strive for texture and little doubt that for anyone close to the soil climateHunter. The northern part of the valley has been our wines are lighter-bodied so they won’t carry change has arrived.”destroyed by open-pit coal mines.” the higher alcohols. Texture is the single most important factor of wine to the consumer. We need With all the rumours circulating about the state In late 2006, Chris was itching to get back to to build that into the wines. And the wines should of Australian vineyards, I asked Chris for hiswork. “I had retained my friendship with the Oatley taste like the grape. Blends have their place but you views. “We’re under pressure from competitionfamily for 35 years so I thought it was time to get should be able to taste cabernet sauvignon and from other countries and the reality that theremy backside in gear.” While at Rosemount, Chris, shiraz in the blend.” He added that merlot seems to are more choices in the market and consumersa trained winemaker, introduced Rosemount like Mudgee and the character they want in shiraz are more confident now that they can make theChardonnay to the world, helping to boost the will come from ageing in French oak. right wine choice.” And how are winemakersimage of Australian chardonnay. viewing this new reality? “Australian winemakers “We’re not trying to replicate Rosemount wines,” got a little lazy with zip-code wines that had no Through Bob Oatley’s new venture, Chris and he said. “We need to make wines with texture that provenance and the heavy reliance on the SouthSandy Oatley introduced Wild Oats wines in are relevant to today’s consumers - good to drink Eastern Australia appellation. Then AustralianAustralia. But their effort to launch the wines in the and good with food.” Achieving that texture and wines were becoming known only for critter winesUS market was blocked by a health food company varietal character in the wines is easier said than and big, syrupy Barossa reds and the Australianthat owns the name “Wild Oats”, so in 2008, Robert done especially when dealing with Australia’s wine industry got sucked along by the top six orOatley Vineyards was launched in the US. extended drought. “We’ve had sporadic drought so big companies. conditions in Australia since 1993 and today Robert Oatley wines are built on the Mudgee our Riverina system is in an advanced state of “My view is if Australia doesn’t want to be aregion’s most successful varietals - chardonnay, distress,” Hancock explained. “About 80 per cent commodity wine supplier it needs to reinventshiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot - of New South Wales has been ‘drought declared’ itself and start marketing interesting wines withcombined with grapes from three premier West and has been for some years.” provenance. As for Robert Oatley Vineyards,Australian wine regions. I just hope that we’ve already made the worst wines “Mudgee is fortunate that we have a stable water we’re ever going to make.” The winemaking team of Chris Hancock, supply, compact volcanic soils with good drainageJames Manners, Trent Nankivell and WA’s Larry Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 23

CULINARY DELIGHTSUNFOLD BY THEBay of BiscayAndré Pretorius finds tranquil dining at last,from rustic old town tapas bars to super-fine diningAbove the majestic arch of San Sebastian’s Concha school football. Committed swimmers brave thebeach, a foggy drizzle merges into irregular rivulets chill for a few lengths in the placid sea.on the windows of the Café de la Concha. Thenarrow mouth of the bay and the wide arch of the Seafaring and seafood still provide a twofoldbeach describe an almost perfect scallop shell. leitmotif of Basque existence and identity. ForAutumn weighs heavy and sodden: in the distance in these parts, eating is no trivial matter. An oldthe two promontories that guard the bay all but aphoristic tale concerns three existential questionsdisappear in a swirl of grey cloud. that trouble the Basque being: Where are we from? Who are we? And, more pressing than either of San Sebastian nestles in the Atlantic corner these: Where are we eating tonight?between Spain and France and its story is that oftwo bays: this one, around which the city grew, and So, when we surrender our cosy corner at thethe greater Bay of Biscay. The late 19th century Café de la Concha to amble along the beachpatronage of a queen-regent, Maria Christina, promenade to the old town (or Parte Vieja), it is inmade San Sebastian and its domestic bay the most anticipation of a culinary epiphany. Dining in Sandesirable beach resort in Spain and endowed the Sebastian is renowned for both its world classcity with its delectable Belle Epoque appearance. restaurants with chefs sporting multiple Michelin stars, and the rustic but exquisite pleasures of its The watery expanse of the Bay of Biscay has for tapas - or pintxos - bars.centuries been the fishery of Europe. But its salinewater also course through the veins of the Basques, Three of Restaurant magazine’s Top 50 restaurantsthat intractable nation in the northern regions of for 2008 were in San Sebastian: the legendarythe Iberian peninsula. When I previously passed Arzak of Juan Mari Arzak, Mugaritz where Andonithrough San Sebastian - on a train from Burgos Luis Aduriz wears the chef’s whites, and Martinto Paris in the 1990s - a violent demonstration by Berasategui. (Locally, there is another, AsadorBasque separatists meant that I never made it Etxebarri, on the road from here to Bilbao).beyond the station precincts. But we would begin our exploration with the But now tranquillity reigns. On Saturday simpler pleasures of the phalanx of tapas barsafternoon the entire length of the Concha beach in the Parte Vieja. Calle de Fermin Calbetón isis transformed into a chain of thirty or more mini a narrow pedestrian street in the old town, withsoccer pitches for a colourful festival of primary straight facades on both sides affording it the aspect of a gallery. In the early evening it becomes24 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

an open-air exhibition of San Sebastianos driftingunder umbrellas against the rainy mist. The street offers little to hint at the hedonist’s gardenof culinary delights that beckons behind the doorsof its jatetxeas: only when the door of one of theseinformal restaurants opens does the bustle tumble outand offer a view of the conviviality inside. The choice of eatery is both impossible andsimple: each jatetxea offers something else, butall are excellent. So we push through the door atJatetxea Jose Maria to be greeted by the trademarksight of a bar counter stacked high with irresistibleedibles and a messy floor ankle-deep with cigarettebuts and discarded paper napkins. The delectable exhibition of pintxos - bread piledhigh with taste combinations from the Basquelarder - cry out to be devoured. But if you overdo itat one jatetxea, that leaves no room for the offeringnext door. And the next one… My wife and I resolve the conundrum of trying asmuch as possible by sharing. First, a pintxo with jamoniberico (cured Spanish ham), pimiento (the marinatedgreen or red pepper which is a local staple) andpickled anchovies, another local speciality. Followedby one with bacon and fried txistorra, a delicious localsausage the fat content of which would have themwailing at the Heart Foundation.Left: Miraconcha Avenue in San Sebastian at sunset. 25 Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E

…waited for something delicious- looking to pass by; once it did, we gestured to the waiter we’d like one too. To counter the fatty excess, we opt for something from the sea: crab with orange “caviar” and a prawn. All washed down with a glass or three of crianza, the light red wine of the Rioja region (just southwest of here) made to be enjoyed young - and preferable with tapas. Behind the bar a single waiter serves the hedonistic horde and keeps count of the number of pintxos sampled by each. It is a system founded on trust: when you settle up, the waiter checks if your count agrees with his, and charges you accordingly. A few doors further, at Jatetxea Eskerrik Asko, we join the scrum for the bar and surrender ourselves to “kebabs” on a nautical theme: boquerones (pickled sardines) and marinated olives. And a pintxo of bacon and prawn topped by a small pyramid of what looked like off-white “worms”. I try to find out what these tasty critters are; the waitress gives up trying to explain and writes it down so I can go and find out elsewhere: the language barrier is considerable - in this Basque heartland even Spanish would not always avail and English might be more welcome - but not insurmountable. “Angulas,” she writes. Later I discover this is a species of miniature eel, much appreciated in the Basque lands. Apart from the exhibited pintxos you can order from the blackboard. But only if you know what is written in Basque on the blackboard… Or perhaps not: at Gandarias we loitered by the bar with our glasses of crianza and waited for something delicious-looking to pass by; once it did, we gestured to the waiter we’d like one too.26 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

So it was not long before perfectly-roasted foie displays the essential taste characteristics of the do for all courses: Spanish wine - especially thegras melted in our mouths, with a sweet conserve. leek. We cook for only forty people every night: that whites - do not have the requisite variety.Followed by solomillo, the tastiest morsel of steak. is the maximum for which we can get top quality ingredients. We respect the ingredients”. The cipirones find a delightful bedfellow in Vidal Such informality is not what comes to mind at the Soblechero’s “Finca el Alto” 2006 - a verdejo frommention of the world’s finest restaurants - that select The leek soup with fresh oyster leaf and sea fennel the Rueda region. The pan-fried red mullet filletscompany that receive 3 stars from the faceless is a compelling illustration of his words - a confection with poached liver is a perfect match for MeritxellMichelin inspectors or grace Restaurant’s Top 50 of the freshest flavours from land and sea. So too the Palleja’s “Nita” blend of cabernet, merlot and shirazlist. The names on these lists conjure images of poached Iberian pork tail with pan-fried langoustine. from Priorat near Barcelona.starched linen, Baroque opulence and obsequious And the veal as tender as marrow: it arrives pitchwaiters. Or the unworldly creations of “molecular black on the outside, but it is lightly grilled to a pastel In the end, Spanish inspiration is lacking onlygastronomy” which leaves you befuddled as to pink over vine embers, with thyme and salt. among the whites. Spain, it would appear, doeswhat you are eating. not make white wines with the off-dry subtlety of Even if it eschews molecular gastronomy, Mugaritz Alsace, so the foie gras comes with the Sylvaner But take the winding road into the hills above is not above the odd culinary witticism. Our cava “Clos de Capucins” 2006 from Domaine WeinbachSan Sebastian and you find a Top 50 restaurant aperitif is accompanied by an hors d’oeuvre of in Alsace. There is another Alsation white - a- number 4 in 2008 - that shares something of “pebbles”: boiled new potatoes covered in a film of Pinot Auxerrois from Albert Mann - as well asthe simplicity of the pintxos bars of the Parte ash. And steamed sea anemones - a delicacy that Austria’s famed white grape, Grüner Veltliner,Vieja: Mugaritz. Andoni Luis Aduriz is part of a recalls a warm oyster in taste and texture. from Nikolaihof in the Wachau.new generation of Spanish chefs who have longappropriated the mantle of the world’s finest from Only the “vegetable carpaccio” hints at a spot of But the coda is sweet and Spanish from theacross the Pyrenees. kitchen chemistry: the “carpaccio” looks like marinated south: a chocolate creation entitled “Interpretation pimiento with olive oil, but the thin red square is in fact of Vanity” needs the heaviness of the sherry-like But Aduriz is no exponent of the technical and watermelon, dehydrated and then rehydrated, served dessert wine, Pedro Ximenez - or “P.X.” to friends!chemical wizardry of someone like Ferran Adria at with a sprinkling of nuts and lemon juice. - from Alvear.El Bulli. Mugaritz operates a kitchen, rather than alaboratory, and the ingredient is sacrosanct. And yet the solid foundation of simplicity is never By the time our taxi collects us for the journey far from the surface. The tablecloths are coarse back to the bay of San Sebastian, we have been Rafael Costa e Silva articulates the philosophy linen; the preparation of the cipirones - baby inducted into the city’s exquisite food culture. Thewhen ushering us into the kitchen - a space that octopus - involves nothing more than an open fire refined cuisine of Mugaritz is light-years away fromcombines industry and serenity: “Sometimes and lemon juice. the stacks of pintxos in the Parte Vieja, and yetpeople dine here and wonder why they are served they embody - no, celebrate - the same Basqueleek soup at Mugaritz,” he says, referring to the The wine list is a magnum opus and we worship of food.leek grilled on vine cuttings and served with a abandon ourselves to the recommendations ofshellfish consommé on the tasting menu. “But it is the Basque sommelier with her heavy American Above: A panorama view of Playa de la Concha in Donostia.not just ‘a leek’: it is the very finest leek, which best accent. Our sole proviso is that we would like to Opposite: Santequera Church in San Sebastian. drink Spanish. She agrees, but says that won’t Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 27

WarrenW’s ay MIKE ZEKULICH After 13 vintages at the Lamont family winery and “Scientific vine management and clever many accolades, the wine world was surprised to winemaking will carry the industry so far but it is Left - Right: Mark Warren, Karridale vineyard & main dam, find that, for personal reasons, winemaker Mark the quality of the raw material which tests the upperHapps cellar door courtyard, cellar door interior and Erl Happ. Warren was heading south, to become chief limit on what can be achieved,” Erl believes. winemaker for Happs in 2002. The first commercial vintage from Karridale where What made eyebrows rise as much as his 29 different varieties are planted, was in 1997. physical move south was the difference in personalities between Mark and his new boss, For Mark Warren who arrived in 2002, it was like Happs founder Erland Happ. being a kid in a candy store with so many different styles to nurture from the available fruit – more than While Mark is a bright, bubbly type - happy 60 different wines when combined with the original among his maturing wines, Erl is a serious, studious Happs plantings and those made under contract. sort of man more content among his vines. Mark who has a double major in bio chemistry Like Lamonts, Happs is remarkable for the and micro biology from the University of WA number of wines it produces, some under the and is a Charles Sturt University wine science family name from its pioneering vineyard at the graduate, also lectures in the discipline and northern end of Margaret River just south of the in fortified wine making at the Margaret River tourist seaside town of Dunsborough and the rest Education campus of Curtin University. from Three Hills, its challenging Karridale vineyard at the very southern end of the Margaret River strip He says he needed a fresh winemaking start and near Augusta on the south west tip of WA. Happs provided that. Erl, a former school teacher, identified Karridale As well, the challenge at the boutique 400-tonne after setting up temperature loggers in 14 carefully operation – half crushed for other producers – is selected WA South West vineyards taking data every to bring Happs wine quality consistency at the 20 minutes, day and night to provide thousands highest possible level. and thousands of recordings in a unique research program enabling the careful assessment and world Compared to the Swan where achieving wide comparison of grape flavour development and ripeness of fruit was never a problem, Mark ripeness, related to temperature. admits cooler Karridale ‘pushes the envelope’ with the reds requiring precise management for the necessary maturity.28 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

MARK WARREN CUT HIS WINEMAKING TEETH IN WA’S SWAN VALLEY.NOW HE IS MAKING GIANT STRIDES AT MARGARET RIVER. This has provided its rewards with all varieties style under contract. However, in the first two A dilemma however, comes with the great Margaretincluding tempranillo, nebbiolo, sangiovese, years, no fee was charged because he had River white blend of semillon sauvignon blanc.malbec, petit verdot and grenache. not made the wine before. Such was the result however, that he told the grower to get rid of his Mark likes the more serious complex oaked “Instead of being a big blockbuster pretending to various cabernet still wines and put all the fruit styles but when released a year or so after making,be a shiraz, I have become a fan of grenache from apart from what he sells, into Amarone, which he consumers who think of the blend as an earlyKarridale, in a more pinot-like mould, lighter, pretty, happily has done. drinking fresh fruity wine, consider it ‘too old’,perfumed, and easy drinking,” Mark said. without realising the difference. In the Amarone process, the dried out grapes from He also argues Karridale is exciting for chardonnay hand-picked cane cut fruit are fermented dry, the “I believe the north of Margaret River does ain the quest for wines of great acid structure and concentration of flavour masking the high alcohol great job with the unwooded fruit bomb ssb’s whilefineness rather than rich flavoursome styles. levels with 16.3 per cent in 2009, the highest. the south lends itself to the barrel aged complex interesting wines,” he said. Generally he says, Margaret River produces Trophies come with the shift…fruit naturally that does not require a lot of For the record, the 2004 Three Hills merlot gave The biggest wines Mark makes will never bewinemaking intervention. Mark his first red wine trophy with success at the regarded as classical by the connoisseurs but they are Perth show. The same wine also gave him his first by the average punters. Called Fuchsia, they include a “For example, it has good acid levels something Melbourne show trophy. rosé – sweet pink and fizzy – and a similar styled white,winemakers in the Swan Valley have to be really But Mark believes merlot has been planted in a pigeon pair that fly out the cellar door.vigilant about,” he said. many cases in the wrong places at Margaret River because people believed, as a Bordeaux variety, it Then there is the Preservative Free PF (white and “Fruit also ripens faster in the Swan so the harvest should do well wherever cabernet flourishes. red) – another production first for Mark – and hewindow is narrower.” “A good site means the world. Grow it on a poor is not going to talk about how it is done because site and you end up with something that is quite Happs have a lot invested in the product. In the valley, Mark, who made fortifieds for Lamonts, ordinary, herbal and vegetative,” he said.also became familiar with the great styles made by “Too much merlot is grown in Margaret River in “You would be amazed at the correspondencewinemaking mates like James Talijancich and John the wrong areas.” we get from people who have not been able toKosovich. So it is no surprise that he lectures in the Another highlight for Mark was four gold medals enjoy a wine with preservatives, but can now withskills and keeps his hand in through the making at the 2006 Perth show for the 2002 cabernet, 2003 this pair,” he said.of Fortis, a smooth and integrated port style from shiraz and merlot and the 2004 red blend.Portuguese black grapes – touriga, tinta cao and “In the end, it is all a bit of fun and the bonus issouzao – grown at the Happs founding vineyard. that I have plenty of different wines to drink with my wife over dinner,” Mark concluded with a trademark “Touriga down here is heaven on a stick,” he said. hearty laugh. From cabernet, Mark also makes an Amarone Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 29

JENI PORT In Tuscany, we made old-fashioned, tired, oxidised THIS IS the story of an Englishman, an Italian, an wines that no one wanted Australian and a new start in some of the oldest to drink. We turned our soils on the planet. It’s a story full of the kind of hope wines around, we learned that the Australian wine industry needs right now. from the New World, while It’s about recognising and embracing change. keeping our individuality. The Englishman is David Gleave, a Master of Alberto Antonini. Wine and managing director of wine retailer and importer Liberty Wines. The Italian is Alberto Antonini, renowned Tuscan winemaker who travels the world consulting to wineries. The Australian is Mark Walpole, well-known viticulturist who helped establish many vineyards in his days with Brown Brothers, including (importantly for this story) its vineyards at Heathcote. In 1998 Mark and Alberto met when the latter was consulting to Mark’s close friend, Fred Pizzini at Pizzini Wines in the King Valley. Four years later, the duo travelled to Heathcote. They kicked around the soils. Eye-catching, the colour of copper with chunks of iron oxide running through them, the soils are called Cambrian greenstone and at 550 million years old they are truly ancient. They struck Alberto as being unusual. He was right. Once the area had been under the ocean but the creation of the Mt Camel range created a rift in the sea floor, with molten rock combining with limestone and calcium. The result was a band of red soil 2km wide and 35km long. Alberto expressed interest in investing in a vineyard on such soils and making red wines, notably shiraz. By the following year Mark Walpole had found a 20ha site and Alberto had found a third investor, his good friend David Gleave. Taking their inspiration from the soil, they called their enterprise Greenstone Vineyard.30 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

TT HH EE TT UU SSS CCC AAA NNN TTT OO UUU CC HHMulticultural merger brings a new approach to Heathcote venture The synergy was natural: the viticulturist, the levels. Cane pruning aided in developing early tannic. It was planted because Alberto likes to usewinemaker, the retailer. The fact that they lived flavour development, as did the decision to give more the grape when dealing with youthful shiraz. “It is thein different countries and came from different sunlight to the fruit in the early stage of its life cycle. link between the entrance and the finish of the winebackgrounds didn’t seem to matter a jot. The two in the mouth; it’s good for the middle palate.”internationals brought to the project a refreshing view “If you give fruit more light in the beginning it has- one based on first-hand knowledge of the damage developed more protection on the skin from the With cherry/berry fruit and a good cut of acid, thesustained in recent years to the image of Australian sun so by February (the hottest month), the fruit wine cleans the mouth and is good with food. Thewines, which were being openly criticised in the UK can take it,” says Alberto. He contends that when monastrell is also handy as a rose; the ’09 rose,and the US as mono-dimensional and boring with their growers remove leaves from the vines during the the company’s first, is made from 100 per centmountains of ripe, sweet fruit and high alcohols. hottest months they are suddenly exposing the monastrell. It’s 14 per cent alcohol, something that grape skins to the sun and, hence, sunburn. “It’s would appear to go against the Antonini credo. It Alberto saw a comparison with Italian wines and like when you go out in the sun during summer,” is, he says, a work in progress.their fight to modernise and lift their reputation with he argues. “You do it gradually.”wine drinkers in the 1980s. “In Tuscany, we made His other reds from ’06 and ’07, the currentold-fashioned, tired, oxidised wines that no one It’s fun to posit that it is the viticultural practices releases, are all 13.5 per cent alcohol. The ’07wanted to drink,” he says. “We turned our wines alone that make the Greenstone wines so individual, sangiovese, from two old Tuscan clones, isaround, we learned from the New World, while offering a rarely shown side to Heathcote. Most delicious, with dried plums on the nose, a juicykeeping our individuality. Australian winemakers Heathcote red wine producers play to the region’s mid-palate and a soft cakey-ness. No sweet fruithave become too conservative. I can say this strong points: the impossible purpleness of colour, here. The ’06 Heathcote shiraz fulfils Alberto’s wishbecause I know that’s what happened in Italy.” the lifted fragrance, the plummy sweetness of fruit. for his wines to be shy “and then open up and go Some take it to the extreme outer limit of fruit, oak and go”. Give it time and there is generosity of fruit So it was time for a shake-up. and alcohol. Greenstone isn’t one of them. in the glass, lovely violet fruits and soft tannins. The vines at Greenstone Vineyard - a mix ofshiraz, sangiovese, monastrell and the minor The Greenstone wines, made by Sandro Mosele at Some winemaking techniques will change.Tuscan grape, colorino - were planted in an east- Kooyong Winery on the Mornington Peninsula under Already Alberto is talking about replacing stainlesswest direction to limit the kind of full afternoon sun instruction from Alberto, are decidedly, pertinently steel fermentation tanks with cement tanks. “Keepsthat generally comes with a north-south orientation. un-Heathcote-like. They are slow to open in the the fruit flavour,” he says. The sangiovese is goingWith less sun, Alberto helped to avoid high sugars glass. Pour the monastrell, sangiovese or shiraz but to move into bigger barrels because they give(and potentially high alcohol). do not make the mistake of drinking them too soon. better integration of fruit and wine and because the Planting was high-density, around 4500 vines a They’re shy, unlike their winemaker, who says it is grape likes a slower fermentation. But apart fromhectare, another key to achieve ripening without his intention to make such slow-developing wines. that, Alberto says he takes a “hands-off” approachexcessive alcohol. Competition between vines Just how he does that is another matter. “I don’t like to winemaking and, he stresses, he is making anfor water and nutrients means smaller berries very much wines that are up-front because they fall Australian wine, not a Tuscan wine.and faster maturation of tannins, which results in, apart in the glass,” he says.according to Alberto, mature fruit at lower sugar The Englishman, the Italian and the Australian The ’07 monastrell, grown from clones from have a plan. They offer a different voice to Wendouree vineyard in the Clare Valley, is surprisingly Australian wine. Is the world ready to hear it? Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 31

winewords L U K E F I T Z P A T R I C KSKYE MURTAGH What’s big on the agenda for Clovely Estate in 2010? In 2009 Clovely Estate was the official wine sponsor for Q150, Queensland’s 150th celebrations, and as such a lot of our focus was on developing our own backyard. In 2010, a major aim will be to consolidate and build on this progress and to introduce our products to markets in other states of Australia - a significant challenge! What do you see as the biggest challenge/s facing the Queensland winemaking industry in the next five years? I see the next five years as a continuation of the past five. With a few exceptions the industry is relatively new, with so much having been achieved in the past five to 10 years. The industry needs to continue to identify its strengths and develop styles of wine that are both suited to our climate and offer a unique experience. Over the next five-year period, Queensland wine businesses must fight hard to remain a relevant part of the Australian industry.Whether it was by fluke or fate, there’s no doubt had great appeal. I think if I had met someone What do you consider to be your greatest careerLuke Fitzpatrick has found his career calling in the who was moving to Cairns to become a marine achievement to date and why?wine business. As chief winemaker and CEO of biologist I probably would have done that instead. Having decided on a career in the wine industry,Queensland’s largest vineyard - the Heading family- The winemaking degree was nothing like I thought I believed I would never live in Queenslandowned Clovely Estate - Luke is one of a number of it would be, but luckily it suited me perfectly. again. When a short-term opportunity arose,talented young winemakers putting the Sunshine State curiosity bought me back and, seeing theon the world wine map. Clovely Estate was established Who’s been the most influential person in your potential, I stayed. Making wine that I am trulyin 1997 in the South Burnett after extensive research career to date? proud of in such an underrated region gives meidentified the region’s potential for grape production. I have relied on many people to give me advice in great satisfaction. However, being given theIn 1998, the company purchased an historic cheese many different areas of the industry, however the opportunity to lead a young and progressivefactory in Murgon and converted it to a winery - placing person who has influenced me the most has been company through such a difficult time in theClovely Estate in the enviable position of managing Michelle Richardson. Michelle encouraged me to do industry has given me my most memorableand maintaining quality control over all aspects of everything with integrity and honesty above all else career moments (and many sleepless nights).the production process. The vineyard covers 174 - I think this translates well across grapegrowing,hectares and produces nearly 2000 tonnes annually. winemaking and business. Other significant mentors How would you describe your own personalUsing estate-grown fruit, the company distributes wine have been Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, Brett wine collection?under its own brands in Australia and overseas and Heading (owner of Clovely Estate) and my wife Decimated! While working in retail duringalso sells surplus wine on the bulk market - including Tanya, who has allowed me to travel from winery to university days I accumulated a pretty fairto some of Australia’s best-known producers. Its winery, often putting her own career on hold. cellar of approximately 500 bottles. I took moreprimary varieties are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, satisfaction in collecting and cataloguing winemerlot, chardonnay, semillon and verdelho. Name the most memorable bottle of wine than actually drinking it. A redirection of funds you’ve ever consumed. towards much more boring investments and aWhat initially drew you to a career in the An obvious one that springs to mind was the first realisation that life really is too short to savewine industry? time I drank Dom Perignon. My wife and I had just things for another day has left me with a cellarMy path to the wine industry was simply a matter of arrived as part of our honeymoon at a small village of three to four bottles that revolve weeklyluck more than anything else. I was completing the called Saint Gery, just east of Cahors in the broader and is restocked from many of the great winefirst year of a science degree in Brisbane and had Midi Pyrenees region of France. The backyard of the shops in Brisbane.a friend I had only recently met who was leaving 130-year-old stone house leads down to the famousthe degree to “become a winemaker”. I was at a Lot River where, nearing nine o’clock in the evening What’s your favourite wine accessory and why?stage of my life where I simply needed to travel but still sunny and warm, we opened the Dom we I own a metallic, spiral shaped implement usedand the concept of moving to Wagga Wagga, had bought off the supermarket shelf that afternoon. I to extract corks from bottles. Although it’s rarelycompleting a bachelor of applied science (wine guess a combination of factors has created this strong utilised, I still enjoy the ceremony and tradition ofscience) and travelling the world as a winemaker memory - but the wine was pretty damn good! this ancient tool.32 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

What’s the one rule you always follow when itcomes to wine?Look at every wine with an open mind - neverjudge a book by its cover. Wine is subjective: whatappeals to some may be average to others. I alwaysencourage people to explore different varieties andstyles. We all have our favourites that we continuallygo back to, however there is such incredible diversityin a world of wine that is constantly changing andevolving and waiting to be discovered.How have your wine tastes changed overthe years?My taste in wine has always changed week to week.This is the whole fascination with wine for me: theincredible diversity of the grape and the constantevolution and discovery. Right now I am reallyenjoying nebbiolo and am somewhat obsessedwith the nuances and complexity of this variety. Theone constant is Hunter semillon and I find myselfconstantly drawn back to it in the bottle shops.Where is the most unusual place you’ve everconsumed wine?I shared a bottle of Rockford Basket Press Shirazwith my father and sister approximately 80km intothe Kokoda Track. With 16-20kg on your backduring the day I have no idea why I actually carriedit so far before cracking it. I can highly recommendthis wine with rehydrated spaghetti bolognese andcold baked beans.What’s the most useful trait any winemakershould have?Persistence, patience and a willingness to neverstop learning. In winemaking (like many thingsin life) perfection is almost unattainable. Thesaying “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” is agreat attitude to have as a winemaker and is anattitude the wine industry was probably built on.Winemakers have to be able to cover a wide rangeof skills, which is what makes the job so enjoyable- every day is a new challenge.Outside of Australia, where is yourfavourite winery?Outside of Australia my favourite region would haveto be Champagne. Not only does it produce stunningwines but the majesty and rich history of the area issimple awe-inspiring: incredible scenery with its mixof ancient vineyards, quaint villages and cities suchas Reims and Epernay typify sophistication and style.Of all the wineries in this region I most enjoyed visitingthe house of Pol Roger. From the expansive cavesunder the city streets to the drawing room where wewere served the prestige cuvee, Cuvee Sir WinstonChurchill, the experience was unforgettable. Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 33

adelaidegrapevineGRAEME ANDREWSSeparating Nick Papazahariakis the person and public rooms, all finely groomed with a threadfrom the iconic restauranteur presents a major of graciousness and attention to detail. Originalchallenge. Forty years of unrelenting, passionate paintings, elegant silver accessories, polisheddedication at the pointy end of Adelaide’s premium glassware and 18th century sculptures conjuredining scene has created such an enigma. Nick’s soothing, Old World elegance that’s delightfullyvision of hospitality first emerged during the heady charming. Nick’s commitment to maintaining an1970s, when some of Australia’s most acclaimed extensive (and frankly, extraordinary) wine cellarcooking talent started evolving. He opened Le Paris remains unchanged, but when it comes to the dishesfeaturing the recipes of French luminaries Paul that arrive at the table, Chloe’s is firmly positioned atBocuse and Michel Geurard. It was considered the cutting edge of modern Australian cuisine.one of South Australia’s best restaurants in its day.This was also the period when the nation started Head chef Johnny Triscari, South Australianto become aware of the excellence of its own Restaurant and Catering 2009 Chef of the Year, worksagricultural, horticultural and seafood produce, smoothly in tandem with Nick. It’s a symbiosis of finelyparticularly when viewed in a global context. Nick tuned professional cooking skills with the master’s grand vision. Dishes like Kangaroo Island marron believed the future of the hospitality industry was with pan-fried potato terrine, crispy duck skin salad complexities, I’m sure that, once bedded down, about to ramp up to an unheard of new level. It was a and jus gras, or smoked duck breast and Szechwan Assaggio Cafe will have a cruisey run in this vast major, challenging shift of direction, but a challenge leg sausage, pickled melon saute kalian and toasted opportunistic gap in the eating out market. Keep he was prepared to meet. A quarter of a century rice, shine with delicious complexity. A chorus of fine, it on your radar. 84 Newton Rd, Campbelltown; later Nick celebrates 25 years as owner/sommelier uncluttered flavours. Factor in Nick’s wine knowledge phone (08) 8336 5599. of Chloe’s Restaurant, testament to his intuition. with one of Adelaide’s highest ratios of trained staff to customers and you have the key ingredients for a South Australia’s Restaurant and Catering Chloe’s is graciously housed within a Victorian villa, remarkable dining experience. 36 College Rd, Kent Association has repeatedly nominated Esca as Best elegantly restored and dressed in authentic period Town; phone (08) 8362 2574; www.chloes.com.au. European winner or finalist many times. Yet despite decor. The interior offers diners a number of private this, its presence still remains a bit of a secret. Adelaide’s a city where Italian restaurants seem to Perched appealingly on the Marina Pier boardwalk34 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010 drip from trees; there’s hardly a corner, a street or of Holdfast Shores, where a front-of-house espresso suburb, without a pretender or three. Yet, despite bar, providing breakfast and snacks daily, lures their vast numbers, few focus on really good food. nearby strollers. Restaurant diners must take a few Sadly, ‘good’ often translates into ‘very expensive’ steps to the rear, entering a space with an almost in better establishments. That’s surprising, Scandinavian feel - uncluttered, clean lines with considering the largely humble, peasant origins lots of tan, muted greys, browns and walnut hues, of much of this cuisine. But I’m happy to reveal blond timber and chrome chairs and crisp white that Assaggio Cafe has glided into the spotlight linen. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame an ever- as a vast emporium of restaurant, patisserie and changing ocean panorama. A wall of wine hints at gelateria, tea and coffee bar, reeking of a zillion- treasures awaiting to be discovered. Anticipation of dollar fit-out. The menu is encyclopaedic, with gastronomic excitement rises to a crescendo with full table service and prices on the smiley side so much visual stimulation. There’s this feeling, this of exceptionally modest. While food quality is sense, of something special waiting to happen. still erratic and staff still struggle to deal with its Managing director George Alexopoulos, in partnership with three highly skilled chefs, offers essentially Southern European cuisine with subtle French and Italian influences. This is the real deal: house-made ingredients with no quality short cuts, and it shows in what you get. Dishes like meltingly tender potato gnocchi with slow-braised veal, pork and tomato ragu, or seafood cataplana, with its chunky marine temptations, will have you in raptures. Authentic food with perfectly balanced flavours. Each plate looks visually stunning too. Professional, aware service together with true value- for-money prices makes the Esca experience worth going out for. Marina Pier Holdfast Shores. Glenelg; phone (08) 8376 6933; www.esca.net.au. Above: Chloe’s Restaurant. Centre: Esca’s wine wall. Below: Esca’s - Sheoak farm pork cutlet, green lentils, crackling blue cheese gnocchi romano.

perthgrapevine ROD PROPERJOHNMost restaurateurs can only dream of 500 covers customers since 1995. It is open daily from 10 to glass, and crafted artisan beers are also a specialty.a day, but the Viet Hoa does that standing on its 10 and bookings are advised, unless you don’t 490 Beaufort St, Highgate; phone (08) 9328 6299.head, seven days a week. Proprietor Sen Duong mind queuing. Take away is also an option. 349says in broken English, “We do 700 when busy.” William St, Northbridge; phone (08) 9328 2127. Clyde and Lesley Bevan of the multi-award-You’d swear you’re in a congested Asian city when winning Friends restaurant in East Perth haveapproaching the restaurant, as you will often see a Coupling a dining room to a retail liquor outlet added another string to their bow by appointingqueue of hungry diners snaking its way out of the is the latest attraction in the west, and consumers Andrew Barnes as chef. British-born and trainedfront door and down William St, eagerly waiting for are lapping it up. The advantage is having a much Andrew has recently been flat out at the Heathcotea table. I ask Sen for an answer to his restaurant’s larger range of liquor available to choose from while group of restaurants in the UK, including Olivepopularity, this time through his interpreting ordering the in-house food, and costs are kept down Presses, Winckley Square Chop House, Simplyeffervescent daughter-in-law Van, who happens as expensive audited wine lists and single-purpose Heathcotes and the two-star Michelin Longridgeto be working the floor, and the reply is, “We serve storage facilities are unnecessary. The Beaufort and is now enjoying a kitchen stint Down Under.freshly prepared food, are not expensive, have Street Merchant was originally a very basic liquor Friends has won awards for best wine list and bestBYO without corkage and provide free Chinese shop in Highgate at the epicentre of some smart restaurant with entertainment in Australia and, astea and condiments.” dining venues and trendy pubs. Scott Taylor took Clyde says, “along with our fine a la carte menu over the premises about four years ago, dumped a we have an eight-course and 12-course tasting Well, all those boxes are ticked and the food lot of the cheap wine and bought some really good menu with quality wines to match”. Now, he says,quality also gets an affirmative response from stuff and then began to stock quality takeaway Andrew Barnes adds a new dimension: “He is bigme. I start lunch with canh ga rut xuong ($6.60), gourmet produce. That wasn’t enough and, from a on aroma, flavour and texture in his food, and mosta couple of plump, deep-fried boneless chicken small open kitchen, he soon introduced breakfasts pleasing of all is his ability to lead a team whichwings stuffed with a mixture of pork, prawn and and lunches to discerning patrons, but was unable is very keen to excel.” Pop in for a little Michelinveg. These have a crunchy exterior, are moist to serve alcohol at the tables without the appropriate magic and Bevan benevolence. 20 Terrace Rd,and flavourful within and the accompanying licence. After a couple of years of hard slog and East Perth; phone (08) 9221 0885.bowl of sweet and sour vinaigrette adds a vibrant grumpy behaviour, which is understandable withpiquancy. Next, goi cuon ($5.80), two chubby, our liquor laws, Scott is armed with a tavern licence Above: Beaufort Street Merchant interior. Centre: Friends chefcigar-shaped Vietnamese rice paper rolls and is in fast-forward mode; he now serves dinner Andrew Barnes. Below: Viet Hoa exterior.chock-full of prawn and salad leaves and they along with a choice from an eclectic display of boozeaccentuate the freshness Sen describes. They in the retail section. The eating area is laid-back,come with a spicy peanut sauce, ubiquitous but casual and small and, as this column goes to thedelightful. Next is Van’s favourite dish, mi vit quay, editor, it holds 45, but an impending reno will soona large bowl of hot egg noodle soup stacked with increase seating by another 30. The meals thatvegetables, which arrives with a partnering plate lob on the rustic wooden and glass-topped tables are jam-packed with flavour and are well preparedof crispy-skin roast duck. This is a great blend by talented chef Damien Young, who prefers aof flavours and textures and the dish is a meal northern Spanish/southern French influence in thein itself and enormous value at an extraordinary kitchen, which works perfectly well in this relaxed$10.50. There is a huge menu choice available, brasserie. Pintxos (smalls) average at $7, entreeswith dishes from the north of Vietnam looping $18 and mains $30 and wine corkage is $8 a bottledown to the south, and a mix of Viet-Chinese whether you buy a $12 naked (cleanskin) or a $150plates to cater for a diverse clientele. Special burgundy. If you don’t require a full bottle of winebanquets are a hit with group dining. Viet Hoa, a from the shelves with your meal, it is available by the120 seater, is family-run and has been attracting Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 35

sydneygrapevineELISABETH KING One of the best Mexican meals I have ever eaten was One of the best things about Agave is that the starters Plastic vines hanging from a lattice of the at the Villa Archeologica in Coba, one of the three aren’t gargantuan, courtesy of stacking the plates with same material sounds like a lapse of design most visited Mayan pyramid sites in Mexico. The refried beans, lettuce, rice and tacos. My fellow diner taste. Fortunately, that’s not the case at The tender chicken mole poblano and pork in salsa verde kicked off with chorizo asado (grilled chorizo perky Vineyard Restaurant and Lounge in Crows Nest. were light years away in taste from the usual Tex-Mex with roasted tomato and chipotle chilli jam). It was a Strangely, the fake red grapes serve as a pointer menus of tacos, fajitas and refried beans that are the cool night so my druthers were for the sopa azteca - an to an extensive wine list brimming with well- norm in ‘Mexican’ restaurants the world over. The equally spicy blend of fried tortillas in a tomato broth. selected bottlings from Australia and overseas. discovery was akin to finding out that butter chicken Salsa verde (green sauce) is made from coriander and There are plenty of aperitifs, cocktails and beer and lamb rogan josh aren’t the be-all and end-all of green tomatoes but its unctuous subtlety is a perfect to take your fancy, too, as you glance over the Indian cooking. So I was more than keen to test Agave foil for pork, and so it proved when my main of puerco menu. The north shore is still an Anglo stronghold Restaurante Mexicano, a split-level eatery on Crown salsa verde made its appearance. so the food tends to be classic international fare St, whose main point of difference is authenticity. from duck and orange pate with toasted brioche Prawns are plentiful on both the Pacific and to prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast. I hadn’t You can tell you haven’t entered a Taco Bell me-too Caribbean coasts of Mexico so king prawns loom seen a zabaione on a menu for quite a while, but when Gerardo Macip Lanzagorta asks you whether large at Agave. The hotpot of prawns, rice and fish this marsala-rich parfait alone made the visit to you want to sit upstairs in the cosy, four-table nook blasts the palate with complex flavours - but in a The Vineyard memorable. A warm and relaxing good way. A real highlight, though, is the Mexican atmosphere seals the deal. 104 Willoughby Rd, or downstairs, where the crowds are larger. Gerardo chocolate tart. Who would have thought that pastry Crows Nest; phone (02) 9966 0906. hails from Puebla, the capital of the state of the same and chocolate could simply melt in your mouth in name, and birthplace of mole poblano, the famous a single seamless bite? Channel 10’s reality show, Bondi Vet, has chicken dish spiked with a rich, spicy sauce of propelled Sydney’s most famous beach back into chocolate, nuts and chillies. The dish is on the menu, There’s a range of Mexican beers, sangria the limelight. Promos showing the photogenic Dr of course, but so are many other Mexican ‘home’ and cocktails that cover territory well beyond Chris Brown surfing the waves really make you favourites whose recipes have been imported along margaritas. Even on a wet Tuesday night the realise that this stretch of sand is one of the city’s with the colourful rugs, mirrors and plates that give place was packed. Agave Restaurante Mexicano, major assets. And so is Nick’s Bondi Beach Agave its convincing south-of-the-border air. 410 Crown St, Surry Hills; phone (02) 9326 9072. Pavilion, located in the historic 1928 pavilion building. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer amazing36 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010 If authentic Mexican restaurants are rare in Sydney, views and the dining room is packed with locals Burmese eateries are even more so. Bagan doesn’t and visitors on any day when the sun makes an stretch your credulity with its claim of being the city’s appearance. The seafood that Nick Manettas is only Burmese restaurant, which is why it’s always full. famous for is showcased in a spaghetti marinara Prices are reasonable and, while Burmese curries crammed with clams, scallops and mussels, the may lack some of the fire of their Indian and Thai famous seafood platter for two (bring a big appetite, counterparts, they are more meat-laden and rib- though, because this $125 dish really stretches the stomach) and the classiest fish and chips you’ll find sticking. Two dishes which are very popular are the anywhere. There’s a good spread of steaks, too, green salad dressed with pennywort (a herb widely for those who need meat. Queen Elizabeth Drive, used in tonics) and garlic, and pae palarta, a freshly Bondi Beach; phone (02) 9365 4122. cooked roti-style bread served with dhal and fried garlic. There are Chinese and Indian dishes on the Above: trio of salsas- verde, roja & pico de gallo. menu for those who crave familiarity, but I advise you Centre: Agave interior. Below left: Molcajetes, king prawn. to bypass them in favour of the Burmese menu listings. Below right: sopa azteca, tortilla soup. Bagan is also BYO, so bring along a hearty red. 41 The Boulevarde, Strathfield; phone (02) 8746 0666.

brisbanegrapevine LIZZIE LOELFish and chips. It’s not a new concept but it’s a very sabayon garnished with winter truffle, and lobster and a better than average selection of wines andpopular one, especially when it’s of great quality and over a clear tomato consomme jelly with sterling boutique beers. Shop 3, Little Stanley St, Southpaired with a boutique Australian and international caviar. All very luxurious, in line with the classically Brisbane; phone (07) 3846 1146.selection of beers. This is the theme of the newly bedecked décor, complete with zinc bar, hugeopened and aptly named Scales and Ales at mirrors and comfortable red leather banquettes. Across the walkway is Beasty Burgers, a hipBulimba in Brisbane’s inner east. Oxford St, Bulimba, burger bar that has developed a dozen greatis a well-known Eat Street with a seemingly endless Belle Epoque seats 200 and also features a petite adaptations to this age-old classic. Served on carvedstrip of pizzerias, cafes, tea houses and bistros dotted boulangerie adjacent to the main dining room. wooden boats with interesting accompaniments, thethroughout upmarket boutiques, grocery stores and Breakfast is served daily, as well as light snacks like American in Noosa has lashings of avocado andbook shops. Scales and Ales is located just off the ham and cheese baguettes, gateaux and, of course, cheese with bacon over beef; the Spice Route ismain drag, midway along a side street. good quality coffee. The bar occupies another an aromatic trip around the Middle East; and the space and has a separate menu of small, French- Beast-free is for vegans. Shop 6E, Little Stanley St, It’s a first-time venture for well known chef Frank inspired tastes that suit the largely French wine list. South Brisbane; phone (07) 3844 4070.Correnti, who previously brought accolades 1000 Anne St, Brisbane; phone (07) 3852 1500.to CBD bolthole Cha Cha Char for his superb Next door to that is La Via, another pint-sizedtreatment of quality Australian beef and also for the At the other end of the dining spectrum, some diner, this time specialising in Italian cuisine.creation of an interesting non-steak menu, making clever casual options are popping up at South Already famous for its innovative pizzas, with lovelyCha Cha the most well rounded of steakhouses. A traditionally thin, charry bases (think pork neck andstint in a quality butcher followed and now Frank is Bank, just over the Victoria Bridge from the CBD. fennel, cauliflower and gorgonzola and salmon andback championing the best of our oceans rather Sardine Tin is an aptly named, tiny eatery which talleggio), La Via also produces a mean calamarithan our paddocks. spills out onto the wide, covered pavement. French fritti and the signature dish, orechiette with duck style iron garden furniture is mixed with industrial confit and toasted breadcrumbs. Service is speedy There’s a blackboard that displays the daily catch looking metal stools to create an eclectic and very and polite and the simple, fresh decor suits theand you can have that grilled, fried or crumbed, pleasant ambience. The menu is also small and youthful mood of the place. Shop 60E Little Stanleywith chips of course. The rest of the menu focuses offers speedy plates of barbecued ribs, goat’s St, South Brisbane; phone (07) 3844 3460.on all seafood, including oysters shucked to order, cheese tortillas, marinated mushrooms and classichouse-cured salmon, chilli salt school prawns with tuna nicoise. There’s a blackboard of daily specials Rounding out the square is Piaf, another pocket-horseradish mayo, and scallops with pork belly and sized venue but with a pronounced French accent.a sweet caramel sauce. Non-seafood eaters are The lines between inside and out are blurred, withcatered for with choices of goat’s cheese and red wooden slats acting as partitions and sun shadesonion tart, barbecued quail over a French salad, and rudimentary decor within. Visit on any giveneggplant and silverbeet lasagne and a cut of the day or evening and you’ll find West End locals,day, which is served with steamed asparagus and tourists and students from the neighbouring artsbeer-battered onion rings. campuses enjoying affordable Gallic meals, the likes of which are rarely, if ever, seen under a $20 Children are made very welcome with their own price tag these days. Piaf pours both French andmenu that is mercifully lacking in the usual offerings Australian wines by the glass and there’s a littleof chicken nuggets and potato wedges. Marinated hint of Vietnam and Cambodia that sometimeschicken skewers, special calamari and lamb cutlets appears in certain dishes. Shop 5, 182 Grey St,with mash are offered on a separate menu that has South Brisbane; phone (07) 3846 5026.a ‘word find’ game and other things to keep kidsoccupied while parents enjoy a relaxed meal. Above: Scales and Ales king prawns saltimbocca, wood fired with rocket and fetta salad. Centre: Scales and Ales interior. Scales also opens for breakfast with an interesting Below: Scales and Ales Dialba oysters.line up of dishes - think Spanish omelette withchorizo, sardines on creamed eggs and brioche, Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT Efield mushrooms on sour dough or French toast withberry compote and creme fraiche. 5 Wambool St,Bulimba; phone (07) 3899 4001. Change is afoot at Emporium’s Belle Epoque witha changing of the guard in the kitchen. Gone is theclassic bistro menu of cassoulet and pot au feu, andanother ‘beautful era’ has arrived. Chef Trent Robsonhas flair with modern interpretations of French classicdishes, and this is where he has taken the menu. The chilled seafood display cabinet has beendecommissioned and the menu now lists dishesthat would rival those of the best French-inspiredrestaurants in the country. It starts with oysters andcaviar and moves into escargots and foie gras, adelicious charcuterie plate, scallops in a champagne 37

melbournegrapevineHILARY McNEVIN The ongoing chef shuffle is alive and well in our itself geographically, moving to highlight the rest of with luscious cushions while the stunning onyx bar fair city, with a few head chefs moving around Victoria and then covering the rest of the world. It’s a joy gives the room linear definition and drama. some CBD eateries. While a shiny, brand new to read through and Provenance is a joy to discover. dining room has opened its doors in the Southbank 86 Ford St Beechworth; phone (03) 5728 1786. Sharp waiters strut the floor and while there is plenty precinct, a well-known regional chef is gathering of style there is also some good substance to back up accolades and creating some gorgeous food in Comme Kitchen, in what was once Mietta’s in the gorgeous aesthetic. The menu is designed around north-eastern Victoria. the thick of the CBD, has had a change of chefs the perennially popular sharing structure and works and has redeveloped its menu to one that’s more in in this stylish environment, where equal importance is Michael Ryan is a well-respected chef in Victoria keeping with the Gallic name of the place. Daniel placed on the cocktail list. While you’re sipping on a - make that Australia - and he entrenched this Southern, previously head chef of Bistro Guillaume berry lemon drop or a lychee martini there is a feast of reputation by creating a loyal following during the and before that in charge of the kitchen at the now small dishes to snack on, from dips with Turkish bread three years when he and his partner, Jeanette defunct L’oustal in Albert Park, has taken over and pan-fried saganaki cheese with lemon dressing to Henderson, operated Range restaurant in Myrtleford the kitchen at Comme and is bringing with him soft shell crab tacos, prawn and ginger wontons with in north-eastern Victoria. The end of 2008 saw Ryan his years of experience and love of French food. xo dipping sauce. The dinner menu has dishes that and Henderson move just 15 minutes down the road Daniel’s plan is to make Comme one of Melbourne’s can be kept all to yourself if you wish and may include to the beautiful town of Beechworth, where they have leading bistros and he is on track with this, creating corn-fed chicken brined with honey and served with a established their new business, Provenance, in a a menu that certainly expresses his passion but cauliflower puree, a sous-vide lamb leg with mint jelly bank building built in 1856. It’s been a wise move for maintains his awareness of his market who are, or thick wagyu rump with asparagus and Perigueux the couple, seeing an increase in clientele but also usually, young (and some older) professionals, sauce. The menu jumps from cuisine to cuisine but receiving The Age Good Food Guide 2010 Country well-heeled and with a definite desire for quality. not in an overt way; it’s thoughtful and generous and Restaurant of the Year Award. is finding its feet after opening in September. The wine The small but extremely comfortable dining room has list is broad, with many commercial choices, but still Michael’s cooking is unapologetically modern achieved the rare feat of balancing bold, smart design covers a good range of tastes and wallets. 1 Southbank in its approach but classical, skillful technique is with making the diner feel right at home. Usually it’s one Boulevard, Southbank; phone (03) 9682 4500. evident at every turn. There’s the pan-fried duck or the other, comfort or beauty, but here bold yellow breast with a confit leg served next to caramelised leather banquettes sit well against dark wood tables, Left: Leftbank. Above right: Provenance. parsnips, chestnut puree and a parsley and lemon abundant flowers and modern designer lighting. Below Right: Comme Kitchen. salad, or a 30-hour ox cheek on a potato-buttermilk puree with smoked beetroot and candied fennel. The floor staff are a lot of fun; extremely friendly, with great knowledge of the menu and a clear sense Michael has a fascination with Japan and its culinary of anticipation that only adds to the experience. approach, and this is explored through dishes like Dishes may begin with a spring pea veloute with roasted kingfish with onigiri (white rice shaped into West Australian yabbies finished with creme fraiche, or grilled quail with fennel and crisp friend balls), a leek terrine, a raw vegetable and wasabi salad artichokes. Daniel keeps those with simple tastes finished with tatami iwashi (dried sardines) and soy happy with Black Angus porterhouse with pomme butter sauce. All these flavours and compositions are frites and sauce Bernaise but he covers other bases juxtaposed in a room that evokes warmth and comfort with the likes of roasted barramundi fillet, Lyonnaise next to sweeping arched windows, polished wooden onions and caper vinaigrette or an extraordinary floors and framed by Victorian architectural detail. suckling pig with six-bean cassoulet, sauce verte The wine list is a wonderfully detailed and intelligently and pork jus. To finish, the cheese selection is structured list which explores the north-eastern Victorian always worth a look or there’s a warm chocolate region with some Beechworth gems and then extends fondant with nougat parfait that takes 20 minutes to cook but is worth every second of the wait. 7 Alfred38 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010 Place, Melbourne; phone (03) 9631 4000. As a quick aside, the chef who was at Comme from its inception, Simon Arkless, moved on once Daniel took over the stoves but has popped up in another part of the CBD to be head chef for executive chef Paul Wilson at Match Bar & Grill in the QV building (mentioned here in earlier Grapevine columns). 249 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne; phone (03) 9654 6522. Emirate Leisure Retail, a subsidiary of the Emirates Group, has opened its first bar and dining room in Australia, choosing the Southbank precinct by the Yarra River in central Melbourne. Leftbank Melbourne joins similar Leftbank establishments in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, and is an eye-catching space with an enormous bar area that is plumped up

wine investment & collectingAruecptioonrts Grange is, of course, the biggest wine in terms of AUCTION DATES dollars traded in the Australian secondary market,MW WINES’ accounting for about one fifth of total volume. Among LANGTON’S WINEBEST-OF COLLECTION FROM 2009 the best of the best for 2009, the two standout AUCTIONS & EXCHANGEIn a year of skyrocketing prices for rare and old vintages were 1969 and 1979. Showing the impact December 22-January 12 (Sydney)Australian classics, the surge was best illustrated by on the 40th and, to a lesser extent, the 30th birthday January 12-25 (Melbourne)multiple bottles of the legendary 1965 Lindemans market, 1969 Grange recorded a high this year of $740 January 25-February 9 (Sydney)Bin 3110 Hunter River Burgundy hitting the market - up 80 per cent on the highest from 2008. The ’79 February 9-23 (Melbourne)during the year. In previous years, this wine has Grange reached $400, which was up 25 per cent. February 23-March 9 (Sydney)been a solid performer in the region of $400 to$500 a bottle, but not this year - when every bottle Of the classic great years, the two standouts vintages ODDBINS WINE AUCTIONSsold for more than $1000, with the highest price for 2009 were 1976 and 1990. The ’76 recorded a peak January 19a staggering $1700. Remarkably, this wasn’t the of $700 (up 9.4 per cent) and the 1990 rose to $660 (entries close December 18)highest price paid for a ‘non-Penfolds Grange’ bottle (up 13.8 per cent). However, as a general rule, mostof Australian wine. That honour went to a 1878 vintages recorded a high for the year roughly in line MW WINE AUCTIONSSeppelt Vintage Para Liqueur Port with a hammer with, or just marginally down on, 2008 prices. January 27-February 3price of $2050. (online auction) In terms of imported wines, the best of the best March 5-11 (online auction) One of the stars of 2009 was the Woodley’s list was dominated by the Burgundies of Domaine (submissions close five days beforeTreasure Chest series made by legendary winemaker de la Romanee-Conti and Leroy, together with the auction begins)Maurice O’Shea. These wines secured four of the great Bordeaux wines of Petrus, Lafite Rothschildtop 10 places for highest non-Grange price for the and Chateau d’Yquem. DRC wines accounted for (All dates subject to change,year. The top price paid was $1550 (hammer price) just over half of the places in the list of the top 25 without notice)for a 1955 ‘Galatea’ Claret, followed by $1200 for highest priced wines sold for the year, headed bythe 1954 ‘View in Bathurst Plains’ Claret, $1050 a 1943 La Tache, which fetched an outstandingfor the 1956 ‘Skeleton’ Claret and $960 for a 1953 $5050. This was MW wines’ second highest pricedQueen Adelaide Claret. Also worthy of a mention is French wine for the year, behind a 1982 Chateauthe 1949 ‘A Natural History’ Claret, which sold for Petrus at $5500. The top price paid for a Sauternes$880. Rounding out the top 10 non-Grange prices was $1900 for a 1959 d’Yquem, and champagne’swere the 1958 Great Western Cabernet Sauvignon leader at $1150 was a 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil.066-060 at $1000, the 1959 Wynns Ovens ValleyBurgundy at $960 and at number 10, the first ever Together with the release of the MW ClassificationJimmy Watson winner - the 1961 Saltram Stonyfell of Australian Wine, 2009 was the best year ever forMetala Cabernet Shiraz, at $920. MW wines and the company is looking forward to strong results throughout 2010. For further information on MW Wines visit www.mwwines.com.au. LANGTON’S FINE WINE AUCTIONS (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER REPORT) Buoyant market conditions prevailed during October and November, reflecting a strengthening economic outlook. Increased bidding competition translated to the best clearance rates in over a year and strong prices for top vintages. This mirrors market conditions in the main international auction centres, including Hong Kong, London and New York. Although the global financial crisis continues to dampen some sectors of the economy, there are plenty of buyers looking for high-quality Australian and imported wines. Penfolds Grange prices firmed up throughout the year, which generated strengthening sentiment across the ultra-fine Australian wine market, with Penfolds St Henri a major beneficiary. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne have enjoyed equally buoyant times in recent months and the combination of realistic vendor expectations and higher prices in this premium sector of the market has contributed to better clearance rates. Rare Australian wine, which has marched through the recent economic malaise, Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 39

wine investment & collecting Auction continues to astonish the market. The 1959 St Henri secondary market. Confidence and excitement made a record $2940, while an 1878 Seppelt 100 has definitely returned to the auction market andCash Year Old Para Liqueur, the first vintage release of Langtons expect 2010 to be a good year. For moreNOW! this extraordinary wine, fetched $1960. information on Langton’s Fine Wine Auctions and auction results visit www.langtons.com.au.In a Hurry? Ultra-fine Australian wine prices are dominated by Grange, various Penfolds rare wines, Henschke Hill ODDBINS WINE AUCTIONSThe Wine Auction Process will get of Grace and large-format bottles. Although many (OCTOBER REPORT)you better returns, but it could take commentators suggest Robert Parker’s influence Recession? What recession? With record highmonths to sell every last bottle. is on the wane, his favourite Australian wines still clearance rates and buoyant prices paid for good make a strong mark at auction. Chris Ringland quality wines, Oddbins’ October sale was proof thatConsider a quick cash deal? Shiraz has performed very well and Clonakilla buyers remain keen and vendors are becoming less Shiraz Viognier is enjoying a remarkable following, shy. The company reported a return to more normalSterling has a monthly “Live on Line” reminiscent of Mount Mary Cabernets during stock levels as vendors’ confidence in the AustralianWine Auction that taps huge the 1990s. Lakes Folly Cabernets, Yalumba The auction market was restored - hopefully an indication ofInternational demand for premium Signature Cabernet Shiraz, Jasper Hill Georgia’s a return to a more normalised marketplace in 2010.back vintages. Find out how Sterling Paddock Shiraz, Kalleske Basket Pressed Shiraz,works harder and smarter to produce Grosset Gaia Cabernets, Bowen Estate Cabernet The leaders of the pack at the October sale werethe best results for you. Sauvignon and Mount Mary Chardonnay all again the perennial Australian superstars of the performed surprisingly well in 2009. auction market: Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill FREE Auction Catalogues of Grace and Rockford Basket Press. Both the FREE Bidder Registration These buoyant conditions are expected to large selection of Penfolds lots and the increased continue into the first quarter of 2010, which should selection of Hill of Grace and Mt Edelstone Shiraz all Phone Lynton 08 9388 9955 translate to more entries onto both the auction cleared well above expectations. Grange dominated or 0418 949 837, and exchange markets. Buyer participation is also Oddbins’ Top Ten list of hammer prices paid for increasing, which should improve clearance rates. Australian wine and, for the first time in a while, two or www.sterlingwine.com.au Generally, Langtons expect prices will remain firm pre-1960 vintages took the top honours. A bottle - with only the choicest and rarest lots fetching of 1955 Bin 13 Grange sold for $2250, followedSTERLING boom-time/speculative values. by $1450 for a 1959 Bin 36 Grange. A 1992 Hill of Wine Auctions & Exchange Grace rounded out the top three at $580. Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine V will be released in October 2010, which should place Overall, good clearances were reported for most further international spotlight on ultra-fine Australian vintages of Penfolds Bins 28, 128, 389, 407, 707, wine and generate more interest in the Australian Auctioneers & Valuers of Wine www.oddbins.com.au Oddbins Wine Looking for Wine? Auctions Let Oddbins Wine Auctions show you how Address: 33 Sunbeam Rd Glynde SA 5070 to buy wine in three easy steps… Phone: (08) 8365 4722 Fax: (08) 8365 4788 Step 1 - Call us about our subscriptions 08 8365 4722 Step 2 - View the wines online or posted catalogue Email: [email protected] - www.oddbins.com.au Step 3 - Set your budget & place your bids!40 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010 - From 1 to 1,000 bottles With over 30 years experience... What we do Best! It’s

wine investment & collectingSt Henri and Bin 95 Grange. Interestingly, buyers did most of the offerings from Rockford, including THE PREMIUM CHOICE FORwere strongly attracted to Penfolds lots offered a return in interest in their sparkling Black Shiraz WINE STORAGE SERVICESeither in their original cardboard cartons or original (non-weepers) and in Wynns three major reds: Johntimber cases - but quiet on those wines offered in Riddoch, Michael and Black Label Cabernet. At Winevault, we have gone to great lengthsless than perfect condition. to replicate the perfect cellar conditions of the Vintage dated fortifieds continued their strong famous French wine caves. “I also noted with interest as the auction sales pattern for 2009, especially styles from Winevault uses the latest technology to makeunfolded that the death notices concerning some Seppelt and particularly Para Liqueurs, Chateau sure your wine is secure and kept in optimumof Australia’s so called ‘cult wines’ maybe be a bit Reynella, Hardys, Orlando and Penfolds. From conditions to allow it to reach its full potential.premature - as most of the wines on offer from the imported section, Burgundy, Champagne - in Storing your wine at home, in less than idealGreenock Creek sold extremely well, along with the form of Dom Perignon - and vintage port from conditions will result in premature ageing,renewed auction interest in the wines of Noon Sandeman and Warres, all cleared well. Bordeaux leakage, damage and the loss of your treasuredand Torbreck,” says Graham Wright, Oddbins’ was a little quiet through October. drop. Constant temperature as well as constantauctioneer and valuer. “This can also be applied to humidity is crucial for wine development.wines on offer from Wendouree - not exactly ‘cult’ The onslaught of summer is a good wake-up call So, don’t risk it, call Winevault and reserve yourwines, but neither are they mainstream.” for all buyers and vendors to check their cellars. unit or space in our managed cellar. Rapid rises in temperature just murder wine and Besides the big three, a number of famous and buyers are increasingly becoming more choosy Ph: +61 2 9460 9939not so famous brands at the Oddbins October sale about the wines they want to purchase and how www.winevault.com.aucaught the eye of buyers. Good clearances were much they are going to pay.recorded for Brands merlot and shiraz from the mid-1990s, Brian Barry’s Juds Hill Riesling - also from the “As a general rule, buyers are attracted to and will pay1990s - Castagna’s impressive Genesis Shiraz from better prices for wines presented in the best possible2001, and d’Arenberg’s Coppermine Road Cabernet condition, those which come in their original packaging,from 2005. Other strong performers included especially six packs, and if the wines have the OddbinsKay’s Block 6 Shiraz from the 2000s, McWilliam’s Provenance tag ‘#’,” says Graham Wright. “But just1996 Lovedale Semillon, Mount Langi Ghiran 1998 remember, some good bargains can be had withCabernet Merlot, 2005 Port Philip Estates Tete wines that look a little scruffy. Take for instance, theCuvee Pinot Noir and Yalumba’s Octavius and torn label and VHS level Jasper Hill Georgia’s PaddockSignature from a variety of vintages. I consumed recently. It was in perfect nick, sweetly fruited, very soft but with balanced acid and tannins. Somewhat surprisingly, the large offering of Jacobs Very delicious. And the vintage? 1983!”Creek Limited Edition Shiraz Cabernet (the one usedto promote the film Australia) also cleared well - as For further information on Oddbins’ sales visit www.oddbins.com.au. AUSTRALIA’S LEADING FINE WINE SPECIALISTAUCTIONS VINTAGE REVIEWSEXCHANGE MARKET REPORTSVA L U AT I O N S EN PRIMEUR OFFERSPRICE GUIDES LANGTON’S MAGAZINEVINTAGE CHARTS LANGTON’S CLASSIFICATIONWINERY PROFILES OF AUSTRALIAN WINEOFFERING AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST RANGE OF FINE & RARE WINEMelbourne: Building 5, Maple Close Sydney: Unit 5, 2 Hordern Place650 Church Street Richmond VIC. 3121 Camperdown NSW 2050Ph. 03 9428 4499 Fax. 03 9428 9788 Ph. 02 9557 9100 Fax. 02 9557 9119Email [email protected] Email [email protected] Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 41

what’s it worth? WINESTATE’S AUCTION PRICE GUIDE Prices listed are exceptional auction highs and do not include buyer’s premium. BROKENWOOD D’ARENBERG 2004 $150 1999 $75 1997 $150 1996 $65 Graveyard Shiraz The Dead Arm 2005 $120 2000 $65 1998 $190 1997 $70 1990 $90 Shiraz 2005 $120 2001 $80 1999 $130 1998 $70 1991 $100 1994 $120 2002 $100 2000 $120 1999 $80 1992 Not Released 1995 $55 2003 $65 2001 $130 2000 $75 E & E Black 1993 $75 1996 $75 Eileen Hardy 2004 $75 2002 $200 2001 $80  Pepper Shiraz 1994 $80 1997 $56 Shiraz 2004 $145 2002 $851990 $90 1995 $65 1998 $65 Mount Edelstone 2003 $1101991 $90 1996 $95 1999 $50  1990 $65 1990 $120 2004 $851992 $56 1997 $70 2000 $40 1991 $50 1991 $90  1993 $70 1998 $110 2001 $50 1992 $50 1992 $751994 $70 1999 $80 2002 $55 Meshach 1993 $55 1993 $80 KAY BROS Majella1995 $60 2000 $95 2003 $65 1990 $110 1994 $60 1994 $75 Block 6 Old Vine The Malleea Shiraz1996 $90 2001 $65 2004 $60 1991 $75 1995 $65 1995 $751997 $70 2002 $60 2005 $48 1992 $65 1996 $70 1996 $95 Shiraz Cabernet1998 $85 2003 $80 1993 $60 1997 $50 1997 $65 1990 $95 1996 $551999 $70 2004 $75  1994 $75 1998 $85 1998 $85 1991 $50 1997 $482000 $55 1995 $65 1999 $50 1999 $65 1992 $65 1998 $702001 $60 1996 $85 2000 $55 2000 $65 1993 $50 1999 $502002 $85 1997 Not Released 2001 $75 2001 $75 1994 $60 2000 $422003 $54 1998 $95 2002 $55 2002 $120 1995 $50 2001 $50 1999 $80 2003 $80 1996 $65 2002 $55 CLARENDON HILLS 2000 $70 2004 $85 1997 $45 2003 $65 Astralis Shiraz 2001 $85 Keyneton Estate 1998 $75 2004 $55 1994 $220 2002 $75 1990 $45 1999 $60 1995 $210 1991 $45 2000 $50 1996 $300 1992 $34 2001 $60  BASS PHILLIP 1997 $250 DE BORTOLI GREENOCK CREEK Hill of Grace 1993 $45 2002 $70Premium Pinot Noir 1998 $320 Noble One (375ml) Roennfeldt Rd 1980 $260 1994 $36 2003 $55 1999 $310 1990 $45 Shiraz 1981 $230 1995 $34 2004 $65 1990 $80 2000 $270 1991 $40 1982 $240 1996 $50 2005 $54 1991 $100 2001 $300 1992 $24 1995 $370 1983 $240 1997 $34 1992 $120 2002 $300 1993 $30 1996 $320 1984 $200 1998 $55 1993 $100 2002 $210 1994 $45 1997 $220 1985 $210 1999 $36 MOSS WOOD 1994 $120 1995 $38 1998 $380 1986 $350 2000 $40 Cab Sauv 1995 $95 1996 $45 1999 $180 1987 $210 2001 $261996 $115 1997 $24 2000 $220 1988 $250 2002 $40 1990 $1201997 $180 2001 $230 1989 $240 2003 $30 KATNOOK ESTATE 1991 $100  2002 $220 1990 $400 2004 $30 Odyssey Cab Sauv 1992 $1201998 $110 CLONAKILLA 1998 $40 1991 $65 1993 $901999 $140 Shiraz Viognier 1999 $30 Roennfeldt Road 1991 $360 Georgia’s Paddock 1992 $65 1994 $1502000 $110 1993 $65 2000 $25 Cabernet 1992 $300 1990 $110 1993 Not Released 1995 $1702001 $90 1994 $85 2001 $24 Sauvignon 1993 $260 1991 $60 1994 $75 1996 $1502002 $145 1995 $65 2002 $40 1994 $320 1992 $80 1995 Not Released 1997 $852003 $110 1996 $100 2003 $24 1995 $300 1995 $230 1993 $95 1996 $120 1998 $1402004 $85 1997 $100 2004 $25 1996 $200 1996 $430 1994 $85 1997 $65 1999 $1002005 $80 1998 $85 1997 $165 1997 $260 1995 $75 1998 $85 2000 $110 1998 $290 1998 $450 1996 $70 1999 $65 2001 $120 1999 $55 1999 $250 1999 $340 1997 $65 2000 $80 2002 $95 2000 $65 2000 $250 2001 $320 1998 $80 2001 $65 2003 $95 2001 $100 Elderton 2001 $240 2002 $420 1999 $70 2004 $85 Command Shiraz 2002 $260 2000 $65 Best’s Thomson 2002 $85 1990 $100 2001 $75 LEASINGHAM Family Shiraz 2003 $85 1991 Not Released 2002 $75 Classic Clare MOUNT MARY 2004 $90 1992 $75 2003 $75 Quintet1992 $85 2005 $70 1993 $65 2004 $75 Shiraz1993 Not Released 2006 $70 1994 $90 2005 $55  1991 $45 1990 $2001994 $70 1995 $75 1992 $25 1991 $1101995 $110 1996 $95  Hill of Grace Armagh Shiraz 1993 $30 1992 $1101996 $110 1997 $80 Magnum 1990 $220 1994 $55 1993 $801997 $75 1998 $80 1980 $500 1991 $180 1995 $30 1994 $1201998 $100 1999 $60 Grossett 1981 Not Released 1992 $120 1996 $60 1995 $1001999 Not Released 2000 $65 Polish Hill Riesling 1982 $530 1993 $110 1997 $25 1996 $1502000 Not Released 2001 $80 1990 $55 1983 $480 1994 $130 1998 $55 1997 $952001 $80 2002 $60 1991 $45 1995 $130 1999 $30 1998 $1602004 $70 1992 $45 1984 $420 1996 $150 2000 Not Released 1999 $120 2001 $25 2000 $150 1993 $45 1985 Not Released 2002 $35 2001 $120 1986 $950 2002 $110 Cabernet Merlot 1994 $45 1987 $650 2003 $110 1990 $95 2004 $110 BINDI 1991 $95 1995 $40 1988 $500 2005 $110Block 5 Pinot Noir 1992 $80 1996 $601997 $80 1993 $85 GIACONDA 1997 $45 1989 $6501998 $85 1994 $90 Chardonnay 1990 $8501999 Not Released 1995 $95 1990 $100 1998 $40 1991 $6502000 $160 1996 $100 1991 $80 1999 $402001 $95 1997 $85 1992 $85 2000 $35 1992 $6202002 $110 1998 $95 1993 $90 1994 $4502003 $85 1999 $90 1994 $100 2001 $40 2004 $140 2000 $75 1995 $85 2002 $502005 $120 2001 $80 1996 $130 2003 $45 Cyril Henschke2006 $70 2002 Not Released 1997 $90 1990 $95 2003 $75 1998 $125 2004 $35 1991 $85 2004 $70 1999 $110 2005 $55 2000 $110 2006 $40 1992 $75 Chardonnay 2001 $100 1993 $75 Art Series 2002 $140 2007 $42 1994 $75 Parker 1990 $65 Coonawarra Estate 1995 $65 1991 $70 1996 $90 1992 $55 First Growth 1997 $70 1993 $68 Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 $95 1994 $68 1990 $85 1995 $150 1991 $70 1992 Not Released42 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

what’s it worth? WINESTATE’S AUCTION PRICE GUIDE Prices listed are exceptional auction highs and do not include buyer’s premium.1993 $60 1984 $880 St. Henri 1993 $35 2001 $40 Michael Shiraz FORTIFIEDS1994 $50 1985 $900 1990 $100 1994 $40 2002 $50 1955 $1,6001995 $55 1986 $2,000 1991 $95 1995 $35 2003 $50 1990 $110 Para Liqueur1996 $65 1987 $900 1992 $70  1996 $45 1991 $65 1878 $1,2001997 Not Released 1988 $800 1993 $70 1997 $45 SEPPELT 1992 Not Released 1879 $8701998 $75 1989 $850 1994 $60 1998 $60 Show Sparkling Shiraz 1993 $50 1880 $8001999 $70 1990 $2,000 1995 $60 1999 $38 1990 $140 1994 $55 1881 $8002000 $55 1991 $1,100 1996 $100 2000 $38 Shiraz 1991 $130 1995 Not Released 1887 $8002001 $55 1992 $1,000 1997 $60 2001 $40 1984 $65 1992 $70 1996 $55 1893 $1,0002002 $50 1993 $1,000 1998 $85 2002 $35 1985 $90 1993 $75 1997 $46 1899 $1,000 1994 $800 1999 $65 2004 $45 1986 $75 1994 $130 1998 $60 1908 $550 1995 $800 2000 $55 1987 $70 1995 $70 1999 $45 1910 $500 1996 $1,000 2001 $60 1990 $70 1996 $120 2003 $50  1922 $650 1997 $800 2002 $80 1991 $45 1997 $90 2004 $56 1925 $800 1998 $1,200 2003 $50 1993 $55 1998 $140 1927 $480  1994 $55 1999 $90 1930 $200 1999 $850 2004 $75 2000 $65 1933 $160 2000 $1,100 THREE RIVERS/ 1939 $150  2001 $1,100 Magill Estate Chris Ringland 2001 $95 1944 $90 Wines Shiraz 2002 $120 1947 $80 Bin 95 Grange 2002 $1,500 1990 $65 Stonewell Shiraz 1990 $800 2003 $80 1951 $3001951 $43,000 2003 $1,400 1991 $800 1976 $551952 $17,000  1991 $60 1990 $70 1992 $650 2004 $130 1977 $381953 $13,000 1992 $50 1993 $900 1978 $701954 $14,000 1993 $50 1991 $70 1994 $550 2005 $90 The Octavius Shiraz 1979 $521955 $3,600 1992 $60 1995 $550 1980 $301956 $14,000 1994 $55 1993 $60 1996 $1,300 1990 $75 1981 $1001957 $12,000 1997 Not Released 1991 Not Released Para Liqueur Bin1958 $12,000 1995 $45 1994 $65 1998 $1,000 1992 $601959 $2,000 1996 $70 1999 $900 Numbered1960 $1,400 1997 $50 1995 $60  2000 $460 WILD DUCK CREEK 1993 $45 NV $201961 $1,200 1996 $95 2001 $7001962 $1,100 1998 $60 1997 $65 ‘Duck Muck’ 1994 $701963 $1,000 Shiraz1964 $450 1999 $65 1998 $75 1994 $400 1995 $601965 $550  1999 $60 1996 $901966 $600  Bin 707 2000 $55 2000 $75 1995 $400 1997 $451967 $800 1980 $110 2001 $651968 $550 2001 $55 2002 $70 1996 Not Released 1998 $1001969 $550  1981 Not Released 2002 $501970 $360 1982 $110 2003 $45 1997 $490 1999 $601971 $1,000 1998 Not Released 2000 $601972 $320 1983 $120 2004 $55 1999 Not Released 2001 $851973 $320 1984 $951974 $380 1985 $100 2000 $310 2002 $90 1975 $400 Bin 3891976 $650 1986 $160 1990 $85 2001 $340 2003 $801977 $390 2002 $3601978 $430 1987 $110 1991 $60  2004 $290 1979 $300 Basket Press1980 $320 1988 $130 1992 $45 Shiraz1981 $280 1989 $1101982 $320 1990 $160 1993 $46 1990 $150 TORBRECK1983 $320 1994 $55 1991 $1351984 $300 1991 $140 1995 $45 1992 $95 Run Rig Shiraz1985 $300 1993 $80 1995 $250 Grandfather Port1986 $550 1992 $120 1996 $70 1994 $90 1996 $350 1940 $2401987 $290 1993 $130 1995 $80 1945 $220 1988 $320 1994 $130 1997 $40 1996 $130 1997 $240 Dry Red No. 1 1989 $300 1998 $70 1997 $80 1990 $1501990 $580 1995 Not Released 1999 $46 1998 $160 1998 $350 1991 $65 Vintage Port1991 $360 1996 $170 2000 $40 1999 $90 1999 $180 Black Label 1992 $55 1956 $1201992 $300 1997 $140 2000 $80 2000 Not Released 1990 $100 1993 $55 1958 $1701993 $320 1998 $210 2001 $40 2001 $80 2001 $190 1991 $75 1994 $70 1964 $1101994 $320 2002 $44 2002 $110 2002 $220 1992 $70 1995 $55 1965 $1101995 $300 1999 $130 2003 $40 2003 $75 2003 $200 1993 $70 1996 $65 1966 $1001996 $400 2000 Not Released 2004 $40 2004 $85 2004 $150 1994 $70 1997 $75  1967 $651997 $320 2001 $120 2005 $35 2005 $95 2005 $180 1995 $75 1998 $75 1968 $901998 $540 2002 $140 1996 $75 1999 $50  1971 $501999 $350 2003 Not Released 1997 $70 2000 $65 2000 $420 RWT 2001 $1002001 $400 2004 $150 1997 $80 2002 $652002 $450 1998 $110 2003 $602003 $380 1998 $140 1999 $60 Bin 707 Magnum 1999 $90 2000 $70 1980 $190 2000 $90 2001 $80 1981 Not Released 2001 $85 2002 $120  1982 $210 2002 $120 2003 $60 1983 $250 2003 $90 Vat 1 Semillon 1984 $190 2004 $100 1990 $35 Moet et Chandon 1985 $140 Cuvee Dom 1986 $340 1991 $25 Perignon Block 42 1992 $35 1987 $190 Cab Sauv 1973 $310 1988 $180 1993 $35 1975 $250 1989 $175 1996 $420 1994 $35 1976 $240 1990 $380 2004 $420 1995 $30 1978 $290 1980 $150 1991 $240 Old Block Shiraz 1996 $45 John Riddoch 1982 $800 Cab Sauv 1983 $180 1992 $165 1990 $60 1997 $38 1990 $70 1985 $300 1998 $45 1988 $200 1993 $200 1991 $50 1999 $35 1991 $65 1990 $900 1992 $32 1992 $200 1994 $340 1993 $40 2000 $35 1992 $55 1993 $190 1995 Not Released 1995 $220 1996 $360 1994 $45 2001 $35 1993 $55 1996 $260 1997 $225 1995 $40 1994 $60 1998 $260 Bin 95 Grange 1998 $290 1996 $55 2002 $25 1995 Not Released 1999 $220  Magnum 2003 $24 2000 $260 Coonawarra 2004 $30 1996 $65 Red Blend1979 $2,000 1999 $190 1990 $60 1997 $40 2005 $25 1997 $501980 $1,200 2000 Not Released 1991 $55 1998 $65 1998 $751981 $1,000 2001 $250 1992 $40  1999 $45 2006 $26 1999 $521982 $950 2002 $235 2000 $40 2007 $30 2003 $451983 $1,000 2004 $50 Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 43

bookwormsMIKE JAENSCHBAROSSA WINE TRAVELLER WINE DOGS AUSTRALIA 2 WINDOWS ON THE WORLD - COMPLETE WINE COURSEBy Tyson Stelzer and Grant Dodd By Craig McGill and Susan ElliottPublished by Wine Press Published by Giant Dog By Kevin ZralyRRP $19.99 RRP $34.95 Published by Sterling Publishing RRP $45It’s taken a couple of enthusiastic Queenslanders First, a disclaimer: your reviewer is personallyto devise this wine lover’s bible about the Barossa acquainted with one of the stars of this book (Jackson Going to school with Kevin Zraly is a visual andValley - a bargain-priced volume that deserves the kelpie cross of The Blok at Coonawarra, Page informative pleasure - even if the class doesn’tto be on the bookshelf of every inquisitive 274) and his known accomplice James but has not spend much time in the antipodes. While it mightwine aficionado in South Australia, as well as let this association influence his assessment of the miff the Aussie or Kiwi that their countries get onlyaccompanying any serious wine tourist from afar. latest volume in a heart-warming series. four pages each in this 338-page volume, it’s clear the book is aimed primarily at the US market. Stelzer and Dodd break the mould of your typical As usual, it’s a delightful book, simple buteveryday wine region guide by devoting almost the ingenious in concept and content, as were its That minor fit of patriotic pique out of the way,entire book - 193 of 230 pages - to the wineries multiple predecessors extolling the virtues and there’s no doubt Zraly knows his stuff. After all,themselves, their history, their personalities, their vices of cellar door canines in Australia, New the fact that this is the 25th anniversary editionphilosophies and their signature wines. There are Zealand, Italy and the US. It’s a series that has bred of his book shows his formula works, and it’s150 wineries covered at varying lengths although, prolifically since co-authors and partners McGill a formula he’s been constantly refining overthe authors say, a few names are missing because and Elliott started noticing the omnipresent dogs the years.those wineries declined to be included - a strange during a McLaren Vale wineries tour in 1997.decision that could backfire when they see what a In 1970, Zraly was a 19-year-old college studentgolden opportunity they’ve missed. While the pages are interspersed with amusing working as a waiter in a highly rated New York contributions from wine industry identities such restaurant, where he was asked to take on What’s particularly remarkable is that among as Peter Lehmann, the dogs themselves - more bartending duties. He taught his first wine class atthe household names like Yalumba, Greenock than 200 of them - tell their own stories beautifully 20 and his Windows on the World school has nowCreek, Henschke and Elderton appear wineries through McGill’s wonderful and wry portraits been running for 34 years.that would fly well below the radar of most tourists that capture the essence of their characters.and wine chasers. For example, Cirillo Wines at Again, the potted biogs under headings such as After an initial tutorial on winemaking andNuriootpa is a tiny operation that produces only Known Accomplice, Favourite Pastime, Pet Hate tasting basics and the world’s red and whiteone wine - a grenache made from 1850s vines and Naughtiest Deed (there’s some appalling wine grapes, Zraly introduces his first set of theand held for 10 years before release. misbehaviour here) expose the rascal that lurks questions that end each section. within every wine dog. The book begins with handy information on Then, in attractively designed pages pepperedwine routes, maps and distances and ends with It’s a pity dogs can’t read, because they’d love with maps, facts and figures, he leads us througha long list of recommended places to visit. And the book too. Show them the photos anyway, and the wines and regions of Europe and the US,the scenic photography by Dragan Radocaj is watch them smile. followed by the other major wine producingbreathtakingly glorious. countries - like ours.44 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

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how we judgeWINESTATE MAGAZINETASTING CRITERIAOUR TASTINGS AND PUBLISHED ratings aredesigned with one thing in mind: to provide auseful and genuine balanced guide on wines to ourreaders. In order to achieve this we follow certainprocedures in an activity that is notoriously difficult!There are regular criticisms of wine shows andvarious scoring systems; here is how we approachour tastings.A wide selection of wines star rating systemWines are invited from any producer, providedthat they meet the criteria of the class beingjudged. The class may be a regional or styletasting and generally the wines must be availablefor consumers to purchase, although we havemuseum and rare wine tastings as well.Awarding scores have not been entered by the wineries. In order judges with complementary backgrounds to produce the biggest and best wine magazine, and a three-person panel for each flight willWinestate carries out the judging using Australian Winestate includes advertising; however, this is include winemakers with technical expertisecapital city wine show procedures; the wines are fiercely independent of any wine tasting editorial. and often a marketing/retail expert who knowsnot known to the judges. The three judges taste the Wine companies are advised of the blind tasting consumer tastes. Often one or more of the judgeswines blind and assign a score without reference results and it is their choice to advertise if they are Masters of Wine with vast internationalto each other. Only then do they compare scores, wish. The judges’ decisions are final and these are experience, and most judges have experienceand if there is dissension they re-taste the wines and published according to the judges’ scores, whether at major Australian wine shows. We are alsocome to an agreement. Scores are compiled using advertising is taken or not. aware of expertise. If we are judging a region,the 20-point international system: a gold is 18.5 and for example, we will have a winemaker judgeabove; silver is 17 and above and is excellent wine; The judges from that region because that person knows thebronze is 15.5 and above and represents good local style. We may balance that with a judgewine. A reasonable, sound everyday-drinking wine We take care in selecting our judges. But from outside the region and generally someonescores 15 (but does not gain a medal). A bland but remember: judges are human and their own with broad and mature experience.clean wine scores 14. Below this score there are preference will influence their scores. We useunpleasant flavours. These final ‘medals’ are thenconverted into a star rating system for publication how we comparein Winestate. A gold means 5 stars, silver is 4, andbronze is 3 stars. Winestate Rating Comment Wine show Medal International 100 Point System HHHHH Outstanding Gold 20 Point System 93 - 100The biggest judging system HHHH1/2 Excellent High Silver 18.5 - 20 90 - 92 HHHH Very Good Silver 18 - 18.4 85 - 89Winestate examines on average more Australasian HHH1/2 Good/Very Good High Bronze 17 - 17.9 83 - 84wines per year than any other forum - more than HHH Good Bronze 16.5 - 16.9 78 - 8210,000. Compare this to the biggest show in 15.5 - 16.4Australia, the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, withjust over 4000 entries. Wine judging is an inexact art, not a science - even at the highest levels of proficiency. Accordingly, Winestate uses the star rating system which reflects a range, rather than a specific pointIndependence of advertising score. Point systems indicate a level of accuracy that simply does not exist.Winestate will occasionally purchase ‘yardstick’wines to be evaluated where we believe thatthese are of consumer or trade interest if these46 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

© Kitch Bain.styles THE BEST WINES OF 2009 CONTENTS Includes: Sparkling/Champagne, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Italian/Spanish, Pinot Noir, Other Bordeaux Varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Sweet White & Fortified.

WINESTATE’S BEST WINES OF 2009 style tastings sparkling Centennial sparkling Cuttaway Hill Champagne Giesler /champagne Vineyards Bowral $30 + Laurence Sparkling & Cie Brut Francesparkling Pinot Chardonnay Chardonnay Pinot NV HHHH$20-30 NV HHHH Brown Brothers Noir 2005 HHHH Relatively simple but Well-made wine Milawa Limited Complex bouquet very appealing lean,Oakvale Reserve with some pleasant Release King - toasty, fruity and with green style. VerySparkling secondary characters Valley Pinot Noir some malo creaminess. flavoursome palateChardonnay developing. Has Chardonnay In the mouth it is rich showing nice age2006 HHHH1/2 length and balance 2002 HHHHH with flavour that leans development balanced“The best balanced, and good weight of Everything in perfect more towards the pinot by lovely acidity threadedbest put together, most varietal fruit. $27.99 balance and, despite characteristics of the through it. $39.99complex of the whole its age, the wine is still blend. $32 Champagne Veuvegroup,” said one judge. sparkling shiraz very youthful, albeit Seppelt Salinger Cliquot PonsardinComplex, mushroomy complex with maturity. 2004 HHHH Yellow Label Brutaromas and a rich Interesting garlic/toast- Broad, flavoursome France NV HHHHcomplexity of lingering like aromas and a long, wine that has some Long, lingering andflavours that have textured palate offering burnt toffee-like youthful and yetsoftened with age. $29 a huge mouthful of notes to the nose and also quite complex, flavour. $34.90 interesting flavours with ‘honest’ fruity/ reminiscent of a mix of mushroomy flavours limes, mushrooms and and complex aged tobacco. $32 characters. $65Hardys Sir James Grampians Estate Hardys Sir James Jansz Premium Champagne Henriot ChampagnePinot Noir Rutherford Tumbarumba Pinot Tasmania Vintage Souverain Brut Pol Roger VintageChardonnay Sparkling Shiraz Noir Chardonnay Cuvee 2004 HHHH France NV HHHH Brut France2004 HHHH1/2 2006 HHHH1/2 Pinot Meunier Lovely toasty yeasty Described by one 1999 HHHHHLovely soft, lingering Lighter, fragrant wine 2000 HHHHH creaminess to the nose, judge as being, “bright Fabulously flavoursomedrink - excellent style evolving nicely. Plenty Really lovely example and a long, fat palate and alive with excellent and very creamywith chardonnay of varietal spice on the of style. Lots of aged with simple citrus alertness”. Some champagne. Loads ofcharacters more nose and generous characters and resulting flavours nicely blended lovely citrus/lime toasty characters on theobvious. Still has amount of rich complexity, and a lanolin- with the attractive aged intensity to the long, nose and a wonderfullyyouthful, vibrant, zesty caramelised flavours. like softness with a characters. $39.95 lingering palate. $88.95 rich complexity oflime/lemon flavours Has balance, length palate offering a delicious Jansz Late flavours that linger onwith an earthy note. and style. $35 mouthful of fruit flavours. Disgorged champagne long after the wine hasVery stylish. $28 Scarpantoni Black “A great drink,” said one Premium Tasmania $100+ gone. $109.95 Tempest Sparkling judge. $45 Vintage Cuvee Champagne Henriot Shiraz NV HHHH Brown Brothers 2001 HHHH Champagne Blanc Souverain Pur Spices and eucalypt Milawa Patricia Lovely wine. “Probably Perrier-Jouet Belle Chardonnay France characters evident on Pinot Noir reached its peak,” Epoque Brut France NV HHHH1/2 a nose with doughy Chardonnay thought one judge. 1999 HHHHH Elegant classic brimming complexity. Attractive Pinot Meunier Brut Interesting burnt match Big, ripe number over with excellent soft, aged palate. 2004 HHHH1/2 aromas and a complex with delightfully varietal fruit seamlessly Lovely honest fruit Full-bodied, toasty lime and lychee flavour vibrant lime/citrus-like balanced with a flavours. $28 classic with a vibrant profile with some characters mingling complexity of toasty and complex nose oyster-like notes. $49.95 with some lovely characters and yeasty and a bright and lively yeasty/mushroomy notes. Feels lovely and palate with delightful champagne complexity. Very soft and creamy in the earthy age layered with under $100 flavoursome palate mouth. $102.95 honest varietal fruit with excellent texture Champagne Veuve flavours. $39.95 Champagne and richness. $220 Cliquot Ponsardin Besserat de Champagne Moet Vintage France Bellefon Cuvee Brut & Chandon Grand 2002 HHHH1/2 France NV HHHH1/2 Vintage France Bright, fresh, complex Sweetness lifts off 2003 HHHHH bouquet and a lovely the nose which has “Sexy”, “Perfection”, long, creamy palate rich toasty complexity “Top end drink” were with excellent balance to balance. Beautifully just some of the judges’ between meaty/savoury textured palate has comments. Flinty, flavours and candied long, lingering, apple-like bouquet and fruit-like characters. $120 earthy mushroom incredible length of Champagne G.H. flavour richness. youthful and elegant Mumm Cordon Very elegant. $80 flavours with lovely age Rouge Brut France softening them. $105 1999 HHHH1/2 “Wow, what a lovely drink!” declared one judge. Flinty chardonnay characters are quite prominent. Has amazing length, complexity and softness. $119.8548 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010

WINESTATE’S BEST WINES OF 2009 style tastingsChampagne Lou Miranda Estate Yealands Estate pinot gris Nepenthe Adelaide Bishops HeadPol Roger Blanc Barossa Valley Pinot Marlborough Pinot $20-$25 Hills Pinot Gris Wines WaiparaDe Blancs France Grigio 2009 HHHH Gris 2008 HHHH1/2 2009 HHHH Valley Pinot Gris1999 HHHH1/2 Lovely fresh floral/pear Fresh, bright and lively Spy Valley Aromas of wild honey 2008 HHHH“So much texture!” bouquet and delicate style showing very Marlborough Pinot and chrysanthemums Very Alsatian-likeenthused one judge. lemon meringue pie “tidy” winemaking. Gris 2009 HHHH1/2 - very pretty. Crisp and style. Smells of struck“Such lovely richness, palate with a creamy Terrific freshness Fragrant melon and crunchy on the palate, match, smoked oysterscomplexity and long, smooth texture. Very and beautiful flavour perfumed passionfruit with good balance of and aged pinot noir.lingering flavours.” stylish! $16.95 harmony. “Just a bouquet and some spicy/herbal flavours. Champagne-like flavoursSlightly smoky aromas Starvedog Lane perfectly balanced intense spicy pear Great texture. $22.90 on a leesy, nuttyand a balanced, brooding Adelaide Hills Pinot wine,” concluded one flavours with hints Starborough palate with savourypalate. $124.95 Grigio 2007 HHHH judge. $19.50 of ginger on a long, Marlborough Pinot complexity. $23Champagne Developed, complex oily palate. Some Gris 2009 HHHH Ra NuiRuinart Brut aromas with a musky sweetness. Very Creamy tropical fruit Wairau ValleyFrance NV HHHH note. Some attractive polished wine. $24 nose with a fresh, Marlborough PinotVery soft wine with pear/apple flavours with Eradus Awatere piquant lift. Lots of Gris 2008 HHHHa flinty/burnt match good mineral freshness Valley Marlborough fragrant sweet pear Smells like fig pastecharacter to the nose and texture. $26 Pinot Gris flavours. Almost a and quinces withand a very flavoursome 2009 HHHH New Zealand sav blanc strawberry shortbreadpalate with seamless pinot gris Pretty, lifted musk, flavour profile. $24 undertones. Hasbalance between under $20 quince and rose Saint Clair sparkling wine basesweet fruit and savoury petal bouquet and an Family Estate flavours. “Must havecharacters. $105 Saint Clair obviously sweet, pear Marlborough Pinot grown next to a quince Family Estate flavoured palate with a Gris 2008 HHHH orchard,” said one pinot gris Vicar’s Choice lovely floral lift. Bright Long, interesting and judge. Nice! $24.99 /pinot grigio Marlborough Pinot and balanced. $20 very polished wine with Gris 2008 HHHHH a pretty chamomile and pinot gris Alsatian-like style with a honey nose showing $25+ rich, perfumed nose of a hint of ginger. musk and rose petals. Intense and complex Oily in the mouth, with fruit flavours with a lemon curd and ripe pear sweetish end. $20.95 flavours. Some residual sugar sweetness. Drink now. $18.95pinot grigio Grant Burge East Argyle Pinot GrisDevils Creek 2009 HHHHPinot Grigio Big fruit salad aromas Gibbston Valley2009 HHHH1/2 with a hint of ginger. Central Otago PinotIntense honey and Interesting palate that Astrolabe Discovery Gris 2008 HHHHHmelon aromas with has an oily texture Awatere Pinot Gris Big wine with a creamysome spiciness. Two Tracks and tight pomme fruit 2008 HHHH pear and apple bouquetPalate layered with Marlborough Pinot flavours. Cellaring Pretty, spicy ginger showing some freshrich apple and green Yealands Way Gris 2008 HHHH1/2 potential. 1-2 $22 nose and harmonious citrus. The full-bodied,pear flavours. Slightly Marlborough Pinot Savoury nose with some and complex pear and creamy palate hassweet and reasonably Gris 2008 HHHHH pinot noir/strawberry- melon palate with a gamey/roasted meatcomplex. $10 Bright, fruity style with like characters. Nice slight savoury edge flavours with some lovely green hues. creamy palate tasting of and lovely creamy subtle oak notes Honeydew melon strawberry and apricot texture. $22.90 threaded through. $30 aromas mingling with conserve. “It’s a white lime leaves. Very fresh, pinot noir,” said one slightly sweet palate - judge. $19.95 tastes very much like a chardonnay, according to one judge. $14.50 Annual 2010 W I N E S TAT E 49

WINESTATE’S BEST WINES OF 2009 style tastingsMurdoch James riesling Taylors ClareWairapara Pinot riesling 2009 Valley RieslingGris 2008 HHHH1/2 $15-$20 2008 HHHH1/2Smells just like an Sherbety/bath saltsapple pie - very pretty! Crabtree Hilltop nose with toastySoft and creamy in Vineyard Clare maturity starting tothe mouth, with an Valley Riesling develop. Lovely sweetattractive complexity of 2009 HHHHH palate - maturingnutty-like flavours and Gorgeous bouquet nicely. Good varietalwell-handled phenolics. with the fragrance flavour depth andGreat drinking. $25 of spring flowers. length. $18 Palate elegant yet has great strength Saint Clair Family and persistence of Estate Vicars green apple flavours Choice Marlborough supported by good Riesling 2008 HHHH mineral acid length. Subdued nose with subtle lemon peel 5+ $18 notes, and sweet, syrupy lime juice cordial palate. Has excellent length and still shows freshness. $18.95Greystone Heggies Eden Moppity Vineyards Tomich Hill Sladem Wines Tohu MarlboroughWaipara Pinot Gris Valley Riesling Hilltops Riesling Adelaide Hills Z Riesling Riesling 2008 HHHH2008 HHHH1/2 2009 HHHHH 2009 HHHH1/2 Riesling 2009 HHHH 2007 HHHHH Earthy herbal aromasLifted, pungent, Golden-green hues Smells of lemon Aromas of mandarin Lovely sweet citrus and strong and longfloral aromas - and tropical fruit nose sherbet with lovely and orange peel. nose with toasty/kero sherbety palate withvery traminer-like with a floral lift. Well- honeyed notes. Very lively palate with development. Elegant some sweet herbal- followed by a big, structured palate has Powerful palate with real depth of flavour palate has great notes, residual sugar andspicy rose petal palate strong citrus flavours good length, some and excellent acid balance, an attractive fresh acid spine. $19.95with an oily texture. balanced by some citrusy confectionery backbone. All it needs flavour profile and good Setanta“Something totally residual sugar and sweetness, a dash of now is time in the phenolic grip. Lovely Speckled Housedifferent,” said one supported by a soft herbs and balancing cellar. $19 wine. $15 Adelaide Hillsjudge. $28 acid spine. $19.95 acidity. $19.95 Abbey Creek Koonara Sofiel’s Riesling 2007 HHHHProphet’s Rock Claymore Wines Porongurup Riesling Gift Adelaide Very good fruit on theCentral Otago Pinot Joshua Tree Clare 2009 HHHH Hills Riesling nose, although slightlyGris 2007 HHHH Valley Riesling Aromatic nose with 2007 HHHH1/2 closed at the moment.Pungent complexity 2009 HHHH1/2 a nice mix of tropical Slightly closed citric Racy, citrusy palateon the nose, with Great colour! Lemon fruit and lemon sherbet nose that opens up that’s very flavoursomesome lovely underlying and limes on the nose characters . Fresh with some air. Lovely and has plenty offruit. Fairly sweet and a citrusy palate lemon juice and lime up-front bitter lemon- length. $19palate with a creamy with an attractive herbal flavours and residual like flavours on themouthfeel and good thread running through sugar to balance. $19 palate, supported by a rieslingoverall balance. $48.99 it and a mineral acid nice backbone of fresh $20-$25 spine. Good food wine. riesling acidity. $17 2008 & older Esk Valley 5+ $18 $15-$20 Marlborough Heathvale Eden Riesling Valley Riesling Lake Chalice 2009 HHHH1/2 2009 HHHH Falcon Vineyard Lovely green hues. Simple, lifted lemon Marlborough Slightly closed nose myrtle and ripe lemon- Riesling with some floral notes like aromas. Lean, 2008 HHHHH peeping through. austere, high-acid, Developed and toasty Scrumptiously long and sweet/sour green on the citrusy nose, lingering lemon/citrus apple palate. Needs with a long, powerful flavours with great fresh more time. $18 lemon/lime palate that acidity to balance. $20 Looking Glass is still very fresh, has Plantagenet Great Watervale Riesling some sweetness and Southern Riesling 2009 HHHH good texture. Well- 2008 HHHH1/2 Classic riesling nose made wine. $19.90 Very fresh and youthful - very aromatic and lime- wine with excellent like - with lovely flavour intensity of citrus-like complexity and great varietal fruit and nice acid freshness on a light earthy characters. and lean palate. $19.95 Great acid structure. Well made. $2250 W I N E S TAT E Annual 2010