2011 Howard Park Flint Rock Pinot Noir (Mount Barker)

Pinot Noir from the Great Southern region in Western Australia is relatively unexplored territory for me. I’ve been impressed by the Picardy Pinot on occasions, but beyond that there is not too much that easily springs to mind. This offering is sourced from the Mount Barrow vineyard in the Mount Barker region. Howard Park describes the 2011 vintage as on the warm side of perfect.

This is a pretty impressive Pinot and certainly distinctive. Smoky undergrowth is the dominant aroma initially, and as the wine opens up cherries and some nice oak reveals themselves. To drink it is ripe but medium-bodied, with a bit of stalkiness and spice in the mix. It’s underpinned with a prominent acidity that should better integrate with another year or two in bottle. The thing that really marks it out though is a quite intense mid-palate minerality (dare I say it flinty!), giving the wine a great sense of texture. Enjoyed drinking this and worth the journey to the west. 4 Stars.

RRP: $27
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Cork
Drink: 2013-2018
Website: www.burchfamilywines.com.au    



Red

Face-Off: 2011 Pardas Rupestris (Penedes, Spain)

Red: The second of the Pardas wines from the Penedes region in Spain that Brown and I conducted a little Face-Off on.

How’s this for a mouthful of a blend - 70% xarel.lo, 10% xarel.lo vermell, 10% malvasia de sitges, and 10 % macabeu. Indigenous varieties from Penedes in Spain. If you’ve never heard of any of these four varieties you could certainly be forgiven, though Xarel lo and Macabeu are traditionally blending components of Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine. So how do these varieties go as a table wine? Well if the Rupestris is anything to go by then they certainly hold merit.

Opens with a bit of funky pong that largely blows off with a bit of air. Prominent acidity throughout and very dry in style. Nice flavours of citrus and peach are revealed with a bit of time before an appealing flinty/earthy minerality kicks in. Good length. Perfect with fresh seafood. A lovely, textural, dry white wine. 90.

I tried what remained in the bottle a couple of days later and the acidity had become better integrated and touch of honeyed generosity had appeared. Worth holding onto for another a year or two before drinking. 91

Brown: largely neutral nose with air, though if pressed, initially some hydrogen sulphide pong (that blew off a few minutes after opening), pork crackling and very subtle lemon florals.

Understated citrus fruit, unripe white nectarine, and lemon. Taut acidity at the front and back palate. The fruit and mouthfeel fleshes out a bit in the mid palate, and finishes taut, dry and clean.

Interesting, rather austere wine with clean acidity though nice mid-palate texture that would complement a range of seafood options and even poached chicken. 89-90pts + (bonus for its uniqueness and versatility with food)

RRP: Not sure but the LUC is $18
Closure: Cork
ABV: 12.5%
Importer: www.120ml.com.au
Winery: www.cellerpardas.com

2011 Sorrenberg Chardonnay (Beechworth)

Sorrenberg produce near enough my favourite Australian Chardonnay. I was particularly interested, however, to see what the 2011 looked like, given that it was a very cold and wet vintage in Beechworth. Langton’s have described it as an “awful vintage” in Beechworth, while two of the leading producers, Castagna and Savaterre, have produced little if any wine from 2011.

Of course, one of my learnings over the years is that from so-called awful vintages come some stunning wines occasionally. While most wineries in a region may struggle in a given vintage, there are often a couple of wineries that have not only been very diligent in the vineyard during a tough season, but have also had a bit of luck in terms of avoiding the worst of the conditions that their neighbours down the road experienced. I’d suggest this has what happened with Sorrenberg as they have produced yet another superb Chardonnay.

This is not to say the vintage hasn’t left its mark, for in relative terms it has less fruit volume and more prominent acidity than previous years, but it’s still first and foremost a Sorrenberg Chardonnay. Winemaker Barry Morey always puts his Chardonnay through 100% malolactic fermentation, a decent percentage of new oak, as well as some less stirring. The key thing with this type of treatment, however, is that the fruit from Sorrenberg is always up to the task. The 2011 has some lovely creamy cashew notes, along with some stone fruit flavours, but this generosity and creaminess is offset by the steely lime juice streak that runs its long length, and a quartz-like minerality. Over the course of 3 days it came together beautifully, with the fruit fleshing out and integrating with the acidity. It’s another beautiful Chardonnay from Sorrenberg, but definitely one that you need to leave in the cellar for the next couple of years. Of course there's the rub, for Sorrenberg is one of the few Australian Chardonnay producers still using cork. Cellaring their wine means running the Chardonnay cork lottery, something I’m typically loathe to do, but I make an occasional exception, and Sorrenberg is one of them.

Rated:

     


RRP: $50
ABV: 13.0%
Drink: 2015-2021+
Closure: Cork
Website: www.sorrenberg.com    


Red      

Face-Off: 2009 Pardas Collita Roja (Penedes, Spain)

Red: I’d never heard of Sumoll as a grape variety until I tried this wine. It’s imported by Tony Plowman at 120 ML (www.120ml.com.au), and as a point of disclosure I should note that he is a friend from back in my high school days.

Sumoll is indigenous to the Penedes region near Barcelona, and apparently has been a largely forgotten variety, and indeed has been at risk of becoming extinct. Evidently it makes an unremarkable wine if not treated with due care and love in the vineyard. Based on their range of wines, however, it appears as if Pardas are trying to keep these indigenous varieties alive and show what they’re capable of when given some TLC in the vineyard.

The 2009 Collita Roja is 85% Sumoll, 15% Marselan. Organic vineyard practices, handpicked fruit, aged in French oak, 15% of which is new.

The first noticeable thing is its translucent colour. It looks like a lighter Pinot or Gamay. Then to smell it has an expressive nose of cherry, florals, and some positive oak input. To drink the thing that immediately stands out is the acidity, which is prominent, yet appealing within a light to medium bodied frame. There are some lovely flavours here with bright red fruits, and hints of liquorice, spicy cedar, and then an earthiness that provides a savoury finish. That acidity and earthiness add a distinct sense of texture to the wine. Really enjoyable drinking and certainly a point of difference wine. Should age well too. 92 pts

Brown: Interesting wine. Sexy and intriguing nose of dark cherry and turned earth (oak assisted?). Primarily cherry fruit, with a portion of it laced with liqueur cherry. Some subtle liquorice on the palate. Medium bodied and has the colour and appearance of a new world Pinot Noir. Tannins are subtle. Cleansing acid and pleasant minerality kick-in from the mid palate to the finish. Lovely nose, nice upfront fruit, clean and taut acid finish. Food wine. 90pts+ (+= would go well with a wide range of cuisines).

RRP: Not sure but the LUC is $31

Closure: Cork

ABV: 13.9%
Website: www.cellerpardas.com