Best Buy Wines (December 2011/January 2012)

 

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$15 and under
2011 Salena Estate Ink Series Vermentino, Riverland, A$15
Growers in the hot inland Riverland region have embraced the white vermentino grape in recent years, partly because it seems to thrive in the district’s flat, sun-baked, river-irrigated vineyards and partly because it produces such deliciously crisp, thirst-quenching dry white wine. This excellent example comes from one of Salena Estate’s certified-organic vineyards, and combines refreshing green apple and feijoa fruit with chalky, seafood-friendly dryness.
It’s a great-value wine. MA

2010 Thorn Clarke Sandpiper Pinot Gris, Barossa Valley, A$15/NZ$20
The entry-level label from this Barossa Valley winery invariably offers decent value for $15 and sometimes (as with this white) it punches well above its weight. Sourcing this from the cool Eden Valley (the higher-altitude southern end bordering the Adelaide Hills) makes all the difference. There are floral aromatics with a touch of lavender and wild herbs, intense savoury characters, dry chalky texture, good balance, and refreshing zippy acidity which cleanses the palate. PF

2008 Chatto Circus Series Strong Man Shiraz, Hunter Valley, A$13
Jim Chatto is a man of many hats – primarily the head winemaker at Pepper Tree (since 2007), a budding Tasmanian wine producer with his own Chatto brand. His final hat, is the good-value Circus Series, including this lightly spiced Strong Man Shiraz. It’s a blend of fruit from the Hunter Valley and Mudgee regions with a dusty bouquet of dark berries and plum and a dusting of cinnamon. Soft and round, the palate is straightforward but friendly, with flavours of black cherry, fresh earth, licorice and gentle tannins. PB

2009 Charles Sturt University Chardonnay, Orange, A$15
Andrew Drumm is the winemaker at the university’s winery at Wagga Wagga, and the grapes came from the uni’s own well-established vineyard at Orange. It’s remarkable value for money. There’s more than a touch of oak to sniff. Nutty and toasty aromas together with citrusy chardonnay fruit, and in the mouth it’s medium bodied and softly textured, the flavours taking on the beginnings of bottle-aged mellowness without loss of freshness. Great everyday drinking, now and for another four years. HH

2010 BBQ Red Pinot Noir, Central Otago, NZ$13
Winemakers usually attempt to “add value” to their wines by over-selling their merits on the label. That strategy might involve an exaggerated description extolling virtues that simply aren’t there or design elements to make it look like a silk purse. BBQ Red does the opposite. Certainly the wine is fine to drink with barbecued food but it’s better than the rather demeaning label suggests. My notes read, “Light, simple, drying pinot noir with savoury, leather and bacon characters plus red cherry.” Undeniably good value. BC

2010 Oxford Landing Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, South Australia, A$10
Smooth and gentle, with a vibrant expression of raspberry, blackberry and dark, plum-like fruit, a fresh, violet-like fragrance and a well-balanced measure of vanilla oak. It’s supple and juicy, and while it’s perhaps a little confectionary and simple, its soft backbone and acidity enhance its early-drinking appeal. JO

$20 and under
2011 Battle of Bosworth Puritan Shiraz, McLaren Vale, A$20
Battle of Bosworth produced their first preservative-free shiraz in 2010, and were so encouraged by both the experience of making it (the wine retained amazing fruit freshness, despite having no protection from SO2), and the positive response from their customers, that they repeated the exercise in the cooler, wetter 2011 vintage. It’s a very bold, juicy, essencey young red – pure purple fruit – but there’s lovely complexity here, too: some wild herbs
and a bit of game. MA

2009 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz, Mount Barker, A$18
The flagship Plantagenet Shiraz is among the finest examples of the variety produced in the west. In 2009, their second-string shiraz is also remarkably good and great value for money. Sourced mainly from the Great Southern with more than 60 per cent coming from Plantagenet’s low-yielding Rocky Horror vineyard near Mt Barker, the 2009 Omrah Shiraz is delightfully fragrant, showing ripe redcurrant, bramble and dark plum flavours, good richness, concentration and a seductive, velvety texture before a gentle finish. PF

NV Dal Zotto Prosecco Pucino, King Valley, A$19
Otto Dal Zotto was born and raised in Valdobbiadene, home of prosecco, before migrating to Australia in 1967. His first plantings were of traditional (ie French) varieties however, over time, Dal Zotto’s focus moved to Italian varieties with a patch of prosecco planted early this century. This non-vintage style has definitive aromas of freshly cut pear and citrus blossom with a suggestion of spice, leading to a refreshing palate full of apple fresh flavours and clean, crisp citrusy acidity. PB

2009 Berton Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay, Eden Valley, A$17
This relatively new Riverina-based winery started by Bob Berton at Yenda, fields a list of diverse wines from various regions, often representing outstanding value for money. This chardonnay is a bright light- to-medium yellow and smells of fresh citrus and tropical aromas – especially lemon and grapefruit – with gently mineral hints as well as vanilla and butter notes. It has some richness in the mouth, and possibly a touch of sweetness, well within the overall balance. Very good drinking now and for three years or so. HH

2010 Torlesse Pinot Noir, Waipara, NZ$20
A blend of hand-harvested grapes from five Waipara vineyards with a mix of lighter wines from alluvial silts and heavier from clay loam soils. Fermented in small 1500 litre tanks, the wine was hand-plunged and pressed with a traditional basket press before maturation in French barriques. Light, fruity pinot noir with dark cherry and plum flavours plus a subtle seasoning of toasty oak. Nice purity and a moderately lengthy finish. Simple and appealing wine showing good varietal definition. Excellent value. BC

2010 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley, A$20
Heady, wild and deeply scented, this intense, briary grenache has a voluminous bouquet of dark plum, cherry and blueberry lifted by chocolate, cedary oak and a sweet floral perfume. It’s long and typically Yalumba-smooth, with a mouthfilling expression of plums and berry fruits underpinned by a fine, firmish chassis. Its lingering core of vibrant fruit finishes with suggestions of cloves and licorice. JO

$30 and under
2009 Tamburlaine Noble Chardonnay, Orange, A$30
Tamburlaine is one of Australia’s biggest organic wine producers, with 150 hectares of vines in the Pokolbin, Broke Fordwich and Orange regions of NSW. For my money, the wines emerging from the cooler, higher-altitude Orange site are the best under the Tamburlaine label, and this sweetie is one of the best of their latest releases: it fills the mouth with super-rich peachy fruit, and delivers a lovely, balancing sluice of citrusy freshness on the finish. MA

2010 Preston Peak Gewürztraminer, Toowoomba, A$28
The Queensland wine industry relies heavily on tourism for its sales, although an increasing number of top local restaurants are offering some of the state’s best wines on their lists. Gewürztraminer is a tricky variety and rarely performs consistently in Australia. This producer has hit the high notes with a classy single-vineyard gewürz from the 2010 vintage: it has spicy, floral aromatics, Turkish Delight, rose petal and lychee flavours, is vibrant and viscous, finishing dry with fresh, zesty acidity cleansing the palate. PF

2010 Nick O’Leary Shiraz, Canberra District, A$28
Nick O’Leary is one of a tight pack of young Canberra District winemakers that have pushed the region into the national spotlight. O’Leary’s rieslings are terrific and he’s buddied up with Alex McKay to create the value-for-money Bourke Street Wines brand, but you can’t get better value than his 2010 Shiraz. It’s highly fragrant – violets, white pepper, raspberry and clove. Medium weight and fine, the palate brims with genuine cool-climate shiraz flavours, savoury spices, fine tannins and refreshing acidity. A gracious beauty. PB

2010 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, A$23
It’s almost a cliché that in top years, the cheaper labels are especially keen value. This wine, from a great vintage in the Yarra, offers almost unbelievable value for money. It would be good at twice the price. Steve Flamsteed has put together a pinot with superb fragrance of red cherry and a hint of spice from 40 per cent whole-bunches in the ferment. It’s fine-boned and delicate with good intensity and drive, but also subtlety and harmony, and a lovely pure-fruit quality. Enjoy it young: now and for three or four more years. HH

2009 Staete Landt Chardonnay, Marlborough, A$32/NZ$29
I was highly enthusiastic about this wine when I tasted it recently and subsequently discovered that I have awarded a gold medal to Staete Landt Chardonnay in three out of the last four vintages. Rich, weighty and concentrated, with citrus, apricot, toasted nut and sizzled-butter flavours, this is a mouth-filling wine with impressive length. A stylish, complex chardonnay that sits mid-way between the big-and-buttery and Burgundian benchmarks. I rate it as one of New Zealand’s top 10 chardonnay labels. BC

2010 De Iuliis Limited Release Chardonnay, Hunter Valley, A$25
Brightly flavoured, but very supple and elegant, with a fresh bouquet of lemon pith and restrained vanilla and spicy clove-like oak backed by suggestions of melon. Forward and juicy, with a pleasing fattiness and viscosity, it extends in a leaner, finer, chalkier and more streamlined fashion towards the finish, where it reaches a crescendo of white peach, melon and lemony fruit. Knit with nutty vanilla oak and backed by delicate herbs and spices, it finishes with charming length and crisp, citrusy acids. JO

Imports $25 and under
2010 Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Viognier, Gisborne, A$25/NZ$26
Some wines stick in your memory. I first tasted this back in March at Return to Terroir, a gathering in Melbourne of biodynamic wine producers, and then again at the Organic Wine Show in September. Both times it really impressed me with its gorgeously rich and creamy texture, honeyed fragrance and finesse. If you can find a bottle, the exceptionally complex, rich yet dry 2009 Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc also offers great value at around the same price. MA

2009 Catena Zapata Alamos Malbec, Mendoza (Argentina), A$20
The Catena family migrated to Argentina at the turn on the 20th century and became one of the country’s largest and most successful wineries. Nicolás Catena was inspired by the Napa wineries in the early 1980s and he led the family company’s push towards the pursuit of quality. This is a fresh, clean, medium-bodied fruit-bomb with juicy redcurrant and blackberry flavours of impressive intensity and pleasing approachability. It’s easy to understand why Argentinian malbec has become so widely popular. PF

2010 Poggiotondo Rosato IGT, Tuscany (Italy), A$19
Poggiotondo is the family estate of Alberto Antonini, one of Italy’s stellar winemakers.  In Australia he works with Pizzini in the King Valley and is a partner in Heathcote’s rising star, Greenstone. Back in Italy Alberto has spent the past decade replanting the vineyards and transforming the Poggiotondo property. His fresh, bright Rosato is made from sangiovese with 10 per cent each of merlot and syrah. Delightful aromatics of loganberry and cherry stone. The palate is quite savoury, the finish tight and minerally. PB

2009 Illuminati Riparosso, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy), A$12 
This ultra-cheap Italian drop has been among the best-value imported reds for many years. With a deep red-purple hue, it has fresh plum, mulberry and vanilla aromas, with a hint of Port-iness. The palate is the same: clean, bright and firm, tight and lean in profile, with slightly grippy, coarse tannins on the back-palate. The raspberry and blueberry flavours are youthful and straightforward. The tannins aren’t a concern if you serve it with barbecued meats, and it’s great value at the price. HH

2010 Château Gaudrelle Sec Vouvray, Touraine (France), A$24
On the rare occasion I taste a Vouvray I completely understand why Jancis Robinson rates the chenin blanc grape variety as one of top nine grape varieties in the world. This is a terrific example with green apple and minerals plus a subtle influence of nut and ripe tree-fruit flavours. A small amount of sweetness is beautifully balanced by fine acidity to give a drying finish. Taut, elegant wine that’s accessible now but will age well. This really is a bargain. BC

2009 Speri Valpolicella La Roverina, Veneto (Italy), A$25
Fruit-driven but almost savoury, this is a lively and brightly flavoured regional wine of approachability and charm. Intense aromas of ripe plum, cherry, blackberry and meaty, earthy undertones reveal just a hint of cola and bay leaf. Underpinned by fine, powdery tannins, it’s modestly intense, pleasingly long and supple, with a bright presence of fruit that becomes quite restrained down the palate, finishing with genuine length and lively acidity. A delicious quaff with a little more to say than most. JO

Imports $25 and over
2010 Domaine de L’R Cabernet Franc, Chinon (France), A$25
As you get older, your taste preferences start to drift into new areas; I find myself increasingly attracted to lighter-bodied red wines with pronounced acidity and tight tannins. Which is precisely why I love young cabernet franc from the Loire Valley – and why I adore this brilliant example. A bright, clear purple in the glass, it leaps at your nostrils with its tangy perfume of berries and dried herbs, before frolicking juicily all over your tongue. MA

2008 Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico, Chianti (Italy), A$35
The Antinori family have been making wines in Tuscany since the 14th century with their vineyard holdings in Chianti Classico. This is a blend of sangiovese (90 per cent) and merlot and syrah (10 per cent) sourced from the Pèppoli estate in that region since its first vintage in 1985. The 2008 Pèppoli has wild herb and briar aromatics, savoury red plum and sour cherry flavours that are dense and rich. This is a powerfully structured red that is smooth-textured with soft, silky tannins and a long dry finish. PF

2009 Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Clos de Cuminaille, Rhône Valley (France), A$65
Pierre Gaillard began his career working for both Vidal Fleury and Guigal before he struck out on his own in 1985 and is now regarded as among the Northern Rhône’s best winemakers. This blood-red beauty oozes with ripe fruit aromas, dark cherry and plum backed by intense savoury notes. The palate is expressive, again cherry and plum with licorice and spice enter the mix. Fine tannins and a gentle acidity help control the wine’s natural exuberance. PB

2009 Gilbert Picq Chablis, Burgundy (France), A$42 
This tiny, family-owned Chablis domain has just six wines, but they regularly punch above their weight. The colour is a bright medium yellow and the aromas are of chalk, malt, fresh nuts and yeast-lees – savoury rather than grapy, and classically Chablis. It’s soft and light in the mouth, with just 12.5 per cent alcohol, good flavour intensity and a note of lemon in the aftertaste. Delicious, lip-smacking wine to enjoy over the next four to five years. Preferably with oysters. HH

2009 Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Spätlese Riesling, Mosel (Germany), A$36
With inclines of up to 70 it is hard to understand why Mosel producers continue to grow and harvest grapes from such inhospitable terrain, that is, until you taste wine from this famous site. Classic Mosel spätlese with plenty of sweetness, no evidence of botrytis and a delicious cut of fine acidity that really builds a nice tension against the sweetness. Fine mineral, lime, floral and subtle beeswax flavours. Delicious wine that offers value at this price. BC

2010 Jankara Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, Vermentino di Gallura (Italy), A$45
From northern Sardinia comes this wine that emphasises both opulence and tightness of focus. Its delicate, cool and faintly minty bouquet of pear, apple and white flowers is backed by chalky nuances of almonds and gooseberry. Initially quite generous and bordering on viscous, it tightens steadily towards a surprisingly disciplined, subtle, dry and savoury finish of soft, chalky acids and persistent notes of hazelnut and earthy complexity. JO

Wines to cellar
2009 Lowe Reserve Shiraz, Mudgee, A$45
The ‘Reserve’ designation here is terroir-driven: this wine comes from a particularly stone-and-shale-strewn block within the Lowe vineyard, a patch of ground that every year produces a tighter, reserved style of shiraz. I like it now because of its sinewy, northern Rhône-like characters – all iodine and dusty soil and graphite and tannins – a few years in the cellar will add more layers of warmth and generosity and ripe black fruit. MA

2007 Murray Street Gomersal Shiraz, Barossa Valley, A$55
Like a growing number of Barossa vignerons, Andrew Seppelt and his team are working to give greater definition to the region by releasing individual-vineyard wines. Low yields give Murray Street wines amazing concentration and density of flavour. The 2007 Gomersal Shiraz is powerful, opulent and weighty with lavish blackberry, dark cherry, chocolate and vanilla characters, fleshy, velvety texture and substantial yet impeccably balanced tannins. It will improve with five years cellaring and will be at its peak in 10. PF

2010 Derwent Estate Chardonnay, Tasmania, $42
Andrew Hanigan is a very focused young man, growing grapes on his historic family property, near the Derwent River at Granton. Julian Alcorso and his team at Winemaking Tasmania make the wines with this graceful chardonnay a perfect example of their skill. Fresh fruit bursts from the glass – white peach and grapefruit with hints of lime, grilled nuts and butterscotch. The white fruit flavours are buoyant, the texture creamy with a spine of citrusy acidity driving the finish. Will happily cellar for five years or more. PB

2009 Swings & Roundabouts Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, A$39
The name sums up the vicissitudes of life as a grape grower and winemaker, something Brian Fletcher knows plenty about, as he’s worked in the industry for more than 30 years. The wines under this label are better than ever. The colour is a deep red, the bouquet filled with raspberry and blackcurrant fruits, with judicious use of oak. The palate has style and class about it; the structure is fine, tight and elegant, with properly ripe fruit flavours and firm but fine, balanced tannins. Enjoy now and for 10+ years. HH

2009 Crossroads Talisman, Hawkes Bay, A$45/NZ$40
A good deal of mystery surrounds this wine. It is made from an unspecified blend of grape varieties grown in the Fernhill, Gimblett Gravels and Mangatahi districts of Hawkes Bay. Varieties and vineyard sites vary from year to year as the aim is to produce the very best red wine that Crossroads possibly can from each vintage. It’s a dense, brooding but accessible red with chocolate, plum, dark berry, licorice, mixed spice and dried fruit flavours. Complex and classy red with a history of ageing extremely well in the bottle. BC

2007 Glenguin Estate Aristea Shiraz, Hunter Valley, A$60
This finely crafted, firmly textured and evenly measured shiraz of Old World-like charm should age slowly and long. Scented with floral, heady notes of dark cherries, berries and plums laced with spicy nuances and suggestions of minerals and graphite, it reveals hints of smoked meats and turned earth. It’s lean and mineral, with intense flavours of black cherries and plums drilled into shape by firm, drying tannins and some youthfully assertive acidity. It finishes quite savoury, with lingering fruit and meaty aspects. JO