Vision realised: Avani Winery - Mornington Peninsula

Davendra and Shashi Singh are like many small-scale winemakers we have met on our travels. They have a passion for their craft and work hard to realise their vision. In their case, enough passion and daring to strike out beyond their successful restaurant businesses and take the considerable step of buying their own winery. This move occurred in 1998 when they purchased Wildcroft Estate, located south of Red Hill in the Mornington Peninsula. From 2000, Philip Jones of the Bass Phillip winery made Avani’s wines, with Shashi’s role in the winemaking process increasing from 2004 onwards.

Some reasonably young Syrah vines grafted onto older vines.
Halfway down the vineyard at the transition point from red to grey soil

As we walked with Shashi and Davendra through their winery and vineyard in early October, it was difficult not to be impressed by their enthusiasm, though also their boldness: Avani are possibly unique in the Mornington Peninsula (and if not, only one of a handful of wineries) to exclusively produce Syrah (quite rightly named given the style they aim for).

When asked about the exclusive production of Syrah, Shashi explained that following several vintages where Syrah stood out, they decided to take the advice of Phillip Jones, as well as trusting their own palates, replanting a conventional suite of Mornington grape varieties with Syrah. Shashi explained that they had initially aimed to make Pinot Noir using Bass Phillip's Pinot Noir as a (very high) benchmark. When the first few vintages turned out to be successful, though not exceptional wines (in their view), they decided to focus on the grape most assisted by the terroir. Acknowledging the time it takes, and the financial risks involved, it is still refreshing to see winemakers taking a punt to make wine based on the varieties that are empirically superior when grown on a given site, rather than persisting with a variety unsuited to the region and/or terroir.

Walking further down the sloping north facing Avani vineyard, the soil transitioned from deep red volcanic clay near the winery, to a slatey, alluvial grey lower down. Davendra and Shashi shared with us the journey they have taken developing the winery and vineyard over the last 15 years. This included the ongoing process of rehabilitating the vineyard, transforming it gradually from a conventional winemaking operation to an organic and biodynamic one, dramatically reducing the cropping levels while increasing the vine density.

Shashi and Davendra were rightly proud of the positive impact organic and biodynamic farming practices were having on the health of the soil (and as we would find out later that morning, on the wines themselves). The soil was healthy: soft underfoot with lush grass and plant life nearby.

The Avani vineyard, 3/4 down, looking toward the winery

Shashi and Davendra are now 100% in control of the whole winemaking process, with the 2012 vintage being the first made exclusively on site. A vertical tasting of the 2009, 2011 and an in-barrel taste of the 2012 confirmed that the wines being produced at Avani are on the improve as the younger vines on the vineyard mature, and as the increasingly confident winemaking is honed and perfected.

As we both left the winery on the sunny spring morning, it was clear that the story of Avani was one that should appeal to the hearts, minds and palates of drinkers keen to try small output, hand-made, honest yet exciting wines.

2010 Marius Shiraz: Symphony & Simpatico (McLaren Vale)

While McLaren Vale shiraz is invariably good, I’ve rarely fallen in love with it or cellared it. I’ve done both however, with the 2010 Symphony and Simpatico wines from Marius. They are superb, cellar worthy Shiraz, with a bit of X-factor. Both are from the pictured 4.5 acre vineyard. The vineyard is notable for its unique gravels that run to a depth of many metres.

There’s not too much difference between the two wines in terms of how they are produced, aside from a few specific rows of fruit that go into the Symphony, which winemaker Roger Pike reckon “scream structure”.  All the parcels of fruit are done in small 1-2 tonne ferments and spend between 15-28 days on skins.

2010 Marius Simpatico Shiraz - $30 – It opens with dark fruits and great intensity, and yet it’s not heavy. With time it reveals blue fruits, and some juiciness, but it is ultimately very savoury, with a lovely tobacco note and a very appealing ironstone-like minerality. Fine but persistent tannins. Needs plenty of time in the cellar to reveal all its wares but nevertheless beautiful to drink now. 4 stars +

2010 Marius Symphony Shiraz - $40 – As good as the Simpatico is, the Symphony is a step up in complexity and persistence. It smells great. Plums, blueberries, florals, and an appealing note of baked earth. To drink it is plush and dense while still retaining plenty of freshness. The wine is framed by the kind of beautiful, cheek puckering tannins that I love in Barolo, and are so rare in Australian red wines. Finishes with great length. Leave it in the cellar for 5 years, and then savour over the next 15. 4.5 Stars.

Website: http://rogerpike.com.au/


Red

2010 All Saints Marsanne (Rutherglen)

This is an impressive Marsanne at a good price. There’s a nice bit of richness throughout while remaining taut, dry, and underpinned by a keen acidity. Lovely texture and balance. Citrus flavours, a touch of honey, and a streak of minerality. It was great with seafood and improved over a couple of days. Ended bumping it up from 3.5 to 4 stars.

Rated: 4 stars

RRP: $22

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2013-2018

Website: www.allsaintswine.com.au

Red

Scarborough Chardonnay - 2010 Yellow Label & 2011 Blue Label (Hunter Valley)

These two wines present a good study in both the old and the new when it comes to Australian Chardonnay. Scarborough’s Yellow Label Chardonnay, while not their most expensive wine, is something akin to a flagship, and harks back to the rich and powerful Chards of yesteryear. The Blue label is a more elegant, less oak driven style of Chardonnay, and much more in line stylistically with where many Australian Chardonnays have moved.

Importantly, both wines are good examples of their styles and avoid the extremes of those styles that have often been evident in Australian Chardonnay.

2010 Yellow Label Chardonnay – $23 -  From a warm and fast vintage. The wine sees a blend of old and new oak, partial malolactic fermentation, and a regular stirring of lees. Classic old school flavours of butterscotch, peach, and grilled nuts. It’s rich, with plenty of oak input, but it always remains in balance. Luscious mouthfeel. It lacks a bit of intensity and length for a higher score, but it’s nevertheless a lovely drink. 3.5 stars

2011 Blue Label Chardonnay – $21 - From a very good Hunter Valley vintage. This wine only sees old oak, no malolactic fermentation, and a regular stirring of lees. It’s a quality Chardonnay with both generosity and restraint on display. Citrus and stonefruits. A nice touch of creaminess is balanced by a lovely acidity and gives the wine an appealing texture before delivering a long, dry finish. Its approachable now with a bit of air, but will be at its best in another couple of years. Great drinking. 4 stars

Website: www.scarboroughwine.com.au      



Red  

2010 Borgogno Langhe Nebbiolo (Piedmont, Italy)

If you are after an affordable Nebbiolo hit from Piedmont then this does the trick superbly. There have been some good noises made about the 2010 vintage and this wine would seem to bode well for the Barolo when they come out in a couple of years.

It’s worth noting upfront that there is a nutty bitterness to this wine that I find very appealing, but it may be a source of less favourable views depending on peoples tolerance for bitterness in wines. In any case once it’s had with food it becomes less evident.

It opens with a nebbiolo nose of strawberries and roses, along with hints of tar. To drink there is some nice fruit sweetness and warmth, but it remains medium-bodied and turns very dry and savoury through the finish, with said nutty bitterness in tow. Lovely liquorice and latent earth and leather add complexity. Great to drink with game meats, and works either now or anytime over the next 5 years plus. Plenty of drinking satisfaction here. 4 Stars

RRP: $30

ABV: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Drink: 2012-2020

Website: www.borgogno.com

Red

2010 Montalto Estate Chardonnay (Mornington Peninsula)

Montalto send some great information with their wine, particularly on the Mornington peninsula and the vineyards that Montalto source from. This fruit for this wine comes from the Hawkins Hill, North Face, and Pennon Hill vineyards, and has resulted in a pretty impressive Chardonnay.

It doesn’t blow you away at any point, but is undoubtedly classy. Generosity and restraint are there in equal measure. There’s a nice bit of complexity with flavours of lime, nectarine, oyster shells, and some nuttiness. Oak contributes positively throughout and it finishes with some appealing bitter pith. A nicely balanced Chardonnay that would work with either seafood or white meats, but give it a few years and it will undoubtedly build weight and generosity and move firmly into roast chicken territory.

Rated:

RRP: $39
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink: 2012-2017
Website: www.montalto.com.au


Red

2010 Drayton’s Heritage Vines Shiraz (Hunter Valley)

This is both quintessential and historic Hunter Shiraz. The grapes for this wine come from the “Flat” block planted in the 1890’s by William Drayton.

The wine opens up a bit funky and stinky as if to hark back to the problems Hunter Shiraz has had in the past. This element, however, blows off with some air. It's medium bodied, acid driven, and a touch rustic. It tastes of sour cherry and chocolate oak, but the flavours that really come to the fore are earth and leather. In fact those leathery notes are this wines unique calling card, while also marking it as quintessential Hunter. It improved nicely over a few days of tasting, lengthening through the finish, and I ended up bumping it up to 4 stars from an initial 3.5 Stars. It needs time in the cellar but will provide lovely Hunter drinking for many a year to come.

Rated:

RRP: $60
ABV: 14%
Drink: 2015-2025
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.draytonswines.com.au


Red

2010 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Mosel, Germany)

(Wehlener Sonnenuhr)

Wehlener Sonnenuhr is a very steep, rocky vineyard, with a very thin top soil, and apparently the purest of blue slate in the Mosel. Many of Germany's most revered Riesling producers including JJ Prum, Willi Schaefer, and of course Dr Loosen produce a wine or several wines from this site. James Halliday has written that Wehlener Sonnenuhr is his most treasure vineyard in Germany. With this history and reputation, this is the kind of wine I want to love, but at least in this instance, it falls a touch short of my expectations. Perhaps tellingly 2010 was a less than perfect vintage in the Mosel, with Dr Loosen saying that it "was marked by dramatic swings in the weather and a fitful growing season".

This is a rich, off-dry Riesling. Flavours of citrus, honey, and an interesting note of green tea ice-cream, are nicely balanced by the acidity. As the wine moves to room temperature an appealing minerality comes to the fore. This is a very nice Riesling, and it went well with a Vietnamese meal, but it never scaled any great heights. If you are partial to the off-dry style you might score it higher.

 

Rated:

RRP: $40

ABV: 7.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2012-2020

Website: www.drloosen.com

Red

2010 Yelland & Papps Devote Old Vine Grenache (Barossa Valley)

If Ochota Barrels and Cradle of Hills have been new and exciting Grenache discoveries for me, then Yelland & Papps is a return to a trusted favourite. Year in and year out, good vintage or otherwise, their Devote Grenache is a quality offering. I had the 2007 the other day and it was drinking beautifully.

The 2010 Devote has a quiet confidence to it. It’s not overt or obvious, and I was initially a tad underwhelmed, but its balance and persistence grew on me. Medium-bodied yet increasingly expressive over a few days, it’s ultimately very moreish. Sweet berries, spice, tar, and aniseed. Very versatile with food and lovely to drink now, but everything is there to suggest that this will reward cellaring. It started at 3.5 Stars but convinced me of its quality in the end. Very nice wine. 4 Stars.

Rated:

'


RRP: $32
ABV: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink: 2014-2020
Website: http://www.yellandandpapps.com/
 
Red

2010 Cradle of Hills GMS - Route du Bonheur (Mclaren Vale)

The next in a line of very good Grenache or Grenache based wines I’ve had from the 2010 vintage in South Australia.

Before they sent this wine, I wasn’t really familiar with Cradle of Hills. They’re well and truly on my radar now though. This is a cracking Grenache blend, and very good value at an $RRP of $25.

Baked earth and cherry ripe. Lovely spice. Grenache juiciness yet with drying tannin. For my tastes it has a pitch perfect balance between richness and restraint. Good drive through the mid-palate before finishing with excellent length. This wine is eminently drinkable with a bit of air, but undoubtedly has the structure and complexity to age nicely over the next five years and beyond. Impressive.

Rated:

RRP: $25

ABV: 14.5%

Closure: screwcap

Website: http://www.cradle-of-hills.com.au/

Red

2010 Ochota Barrels Fugazi Vineyard Grenache (Mclaren Vale)

There’s a lot of beautiful Grenache from the 2010 vintage in South Australia and this bottle from Ochota Barrels is for mine, pretty much at the top of the tree. It rivals the wonderful 2010 Head Old Vine Grenache from the Barossa, and I’m thinking these two wines would constitute a great Face-off in a few years time.

This wine is the product of a vineyard of 63 year-old dry grown bush vines. Evidently it produces some wonderful fruit. If there is truth to the notion that Grenache is the warm-climate Pinot Noir, then it is writ large with this wine. There’s no confection or heat here, and it has that unique sense of being both light, yet intense.

This Grenache is beautifully perfumed. Aromas of bright cherry, smoky undergrowth, and a hint of stalkiness. On the palate you are greeted by beautiful pure fruit before the wine becomes increasingly savoury and complex through to a long finish. While the stalk influence is evident, it’s in no way distracting, and is in fact an entirely positive element to this wine for the perfume, texture and complexity it brings to bear. By day 3 the wine had completely integrated and was singing. Do this Grenache justice by giving it a couple of years in the cellar first, and then savour this wonderful wine. 4.5 Stars

Rating:

RRP: $35

ABV: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2014-2020

Website: http://www.ochotabarrels.com/

Red

2010 TarraWarra J-Block Shiraz Yarra Valley

TarraWarra are best known for their premium quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though the J Block Shiraz shows they have many strings to their bow.  The 2010 J Block has a cool climate core of white pepper, mixed spice and some savoury stalkyness on the nose, following throughout the palate.  The wine has pleasing dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavours, wound-up tannin, and an overall savoury finish that suggests the wine is building more power in the bottle. The TarraWarra J Block is an accessible but classy cool climate Shiraz that will still appeal to the warm climate, riper Shiraz fans. Nice result from a very good vintage.

Rating: 91 points

Closure: Screwcap
RRP: $35
ABV: 14%
Website: http://www.tarrawarra.com.au