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.

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  

2011 Drayton's Heritage Vines Semillon (Hunter Valley)

The thing that is appealing about a number of these Heritage Vines range of wines from Drayton's is their Hunteriness (for want of a better word). From their estate vineyard planted in the 1890s.

An appealing nose of citrus, hints of honey, and an interesting reductive tennis ball aroma. To drink there’s some nice fruit up front with an early bit of spritz , but it’s ultimately very dry, and a touch austere at this stage. There’s complexity here with some nuttiness and a minerality that emerges with time. It finishes with an assured length. The pricing is arguably ambitious for a Semillon, but there’s no doubting the quality or its uniqueness. Needs some time in the cellar.

Rated:

RRP: $60

ABV: 10.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2015-2025

Website: www.draytonswines.com.au

Red

2011 Tarrawarra Pinot Noir Rose (Yarra Valley)

Rose rarely piques my interest. I like to drink it, but it doesn’t as easily elicit notions of things like terroir and ageability . . . the things that excite me about wine, beyond just how enjoyable it is to drink . I was interested in this wine, however, before I’d even opened it as it had received both glowing and critical reviews. A polarising wine it would appear.

To drink this is a Rose that very much meets the “pale, dry, and textural” mantra that is in vogue at present. To drink there are delicate and appealing flavours of strawberry and cherry, along with a hint of cream, but it is ultimately very dry and without much in the way of fruit generosity. Evidence of the wet and challenging 2011 vintage in the Yarra comes with a bitterness on the finish that will be challenging for some. The result is a wine that will find its fans, but if you are after some generosity in your Rose then this won’t necessarily be the right wine. Decent drink and food friendly.

 

 

 

Rated:

 

 

 

RRP: $22

ABV: 12.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2012-2014

Website: www.tarrawarra.com.au

 

 

 

Red

2011 Yelland & Papps Delight Shiraz (Barossa Valley)

I really like the new packaging with the Yelland & Papps delight range, and to my mind it aligns well with the price point and style of wine. More importantly, they are good wines. The 2011 Shiraz especially so, given the tough, wet vintage in the Barossa.

Impressively ripe, it tastes of berries and plums, a bit of barossan tar, and spice. There's a hint of something herbal, that suggests a cooler year, but you've got to go looking for it. Not too much in the way of structure going on here, but plenty of juicy flavour, and it's so very drinkable. A wine for drinking, not thinking, and in that vein, it's damn good. Perfect barbecue red this summer.

Rated:

RRP: $20

ABV: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Drink: 2012-2015

Website: www.yellandandpapps.com

Red

2011 Lark Hill Pinot Noir (Canberra)

What a difference a day can make. On opening this was a challenging Pinot Noir, that only a real Pinotphile might appreciate, being all sap, spice, and undergrowth. On day 2 however, some lovely strawberry/cherry fruit and sweet oak had come through to balance those savoury, spicy characters. Day 3 continued the trend, and it ended up being a joy to drink. It’s a nicely balanced Pinot that's delivers much drinking pleasure. Gives this another year or so and then enjoy.

Rated:

RRP: $30

ABV: 13.5%
Drink: 2013-2016

Closure: Screwcap

Website: www.larkhillwine.com.au

Red

2011 Whicher Ridge Riesling (Frankland River)

This is a cracking Riesling. Elegant, unobtrusive acidity mark it out as different from many of its peers.

Classic flavours of lime, grapefruit, bath salts, and after being open for a couple of days, lovely hints of honey emerge. The wine turns bone dry through the back palate, and that sense is accentuated by a beautiful river stone minerality. Great persistence of flavour completes the journey. Neil and Cathy Howard have turned out another impressive, textural white. Drink it this summer with some fresh seafood, or put in the cellar for the next decade and watch it blossom. Love it. 4 Stars +

Rated:

+

RRP: $28

ABV: 12.5%

Drink: 2012-2022

Website: www.whicherridge.com.au

Red

2011 Lark Hill Viognier (Dark Horse Vineyard)

Lark Hill have been making some impressive wines recently, and their 2011 Viognier is a surprisingly good one. It is a fresh, juicy, yet textural wine (with a slatey minerality). It has the characteristic Viognier apricot and ginger spice, though the apricot flavours are not overpowering or of a dried apricot nature, and the ginger is fresh, flowing through from the nose to the back palate. The wine  finishes with lingering and pleasant smokey ginger spice. Lark Hill have managed to avoid the phenolic harshness, high alcohol and flabbyness I find in a fair few Australian Viogniers (ABV is only 12.5%).  This would match niecly with a wide variety of foods (in my case, some five spice roast duck in an asian style orange sauce).   

Rating: 91 pts
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: $25
Website: http://www.larkhillwine.com.au/