2013 Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner (Canberra District)

In the past few years I have tried a number of promising, even exciting Australian Gruner Veltliners, but none that I would necessarily unreservedly recommend. The 2013 Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner, however, brings home the bacon. It is the best Oz Gruner I’ve had.

It’s a generous, almost viscous white wine, but is beautifully balanced by insistent acidity. Highly aromatic. Florals, lots of spices, and melons. There are some green veggie notes that actually really work, adding interest and complexity. Finishes nice and long. It has the balance to age well, though I think it’s the kind of wine that will deliver the most enjoyment in the next few years.

Rated:

RRP: $45
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink:2014-2016
Website: www.larkhillwine.com.au



Red

Gruner Veltliner Face-Off: 2012 Hahndorf Hill (Adelaide Hills) vs 2012 Lark Hill (Canberra District)

A lovely dinner at the Brown household last month proved a great opportunity to try some interesting wines both single and double blind. With the recent emergence of Gruner Veltliner, and having received samples from Hahndorf Hill and Lark Hill, we thought a good way to kick off the evening would be with a Gruner Face-Off. Below are our notes and thoughts

2012 Hahndorf Hill Gruner Veltliner - $28 (Tasted Single Blind)

Red: Quite a mute nose. On the palate there is some generous citrus fruit with hints of more tropical fruits. Some nice spice and interesting herbal notes as well. Good acidity balances the fruit nicely and it finishes with decent length. Good drinking over the next few summers, and fair value at $28. 90/91pts

Postscript: I got to drink this over subsequent days and it drank very well. Lovely aromas of apple emerged, as well as an interesting rocket lettuce note. Good wine. 91 pts

Brown: Subtle tropical, floral, pear and mixed spice nose, texturally fine boned or even dilute. Nice, crisp acidity. Spiced pear and a touch of lemon/citrus on the palate. Not an intense wine, more light and fragrant when tasted. Not much discernible white pepper, though some mixed spice. More in the citrus/pear spectrum than vegetal. 90pts

Postscript: Lean but not mean. Struck me as a little closed when opened, and happy to hear it evolved in subsequent days.


2012 Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner - $40 (Tasted Single Blind)

Red: Immediately reveals a nose of pears and some more tropical fruits. The palate follows this up with some nice richness, including notes of apricot. It’s a touch oily and has some nice spice. What’s missing though is the acidity to provide balance and restraint. Finishes with ok length, and is decent drinking, but a touch too broad for mine. 87/88 pts

Postscript: Was surprised to see it revealed as the Lark Hill as it bears little resemblance to previous impressive vintages. For those that talk about embracing all the vagaries of vintage variation this wine represents an opportunity to walk the walk.

Brown: A nose of ripe pear and lycee, preserved lemon with some florals, more spice and less pepper than previous vintages. Pear, lemon and a trace of lycee once again show up on the palate, the texture is nectar-like (I jotted down mango nectar as one of my initial textural references).  The acidity is fresh and clean, but not as prominent as previous vintages, and is rounded in step with the fruit.  The minerality is calcium-like. Finishes with some spice and a bit of oiliness. 88pts

Postscript: The wine held up well over 2 days, and developed a more nuanced nose. Still, texturally different to previous Lark Hill GV's. I personally preferred the Lark Hill Viognier from the same vintage (to be reviewed soon), though given the wet vintage, this is still a solid effort. It is promising to see our Austrian new arrival can handle tough Australian conditions..

2011 Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner (Canberra District)

As an emerging variety here in Australia, it is interesting to contemplate where Gruner Veltliner might be in 10 years time. It finds greatness in Austria. Can it do the same in Australia?

Given the well documented struggles of Riesling to gain mass appeal in Australia, despite being arguably the noblest of white grapes, I find it hard to conceive of Gruner Veltliner, with its Riesling like characteristics, gaining broad market acceptance. Nevertheless, in the hands of committed, small producers like Lark Hill, I can see the variety gaining a loyal following. Moreover, given their impressive first few efforts with this variety, there’s every chance that with some vine age, Lark Hill will end up producing some truly memorable Gruner Veltliner.

I really like the length and texture of this wine. It drives nicely through the palate, showing some fruit richness through a long finish, all the while providing a lovely sense of minerally grip. It tastes of lime, melon, hints of white pepper, and an interesting celery/vegetal note. Others may find that celery note a touch confronting, but it appealed to me. The acidity, balance and length of this wine are excellent, and suggest it should age well. A very good wine.



Rated:


ABV: 12%
RRP: $40
Website: http://www.larkhillwine.com.au/


Red

Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner 2010 (Canberra District) Sample

Gruner Veltliner is the dominant white wine of Austria, and is now happily being grown in several parts of Australia (including Tasmania and the Canberra District). It is one of the few white wines in Australia to deserve a trendy “up and coming” reputation (eg: the opposite of Pinot Gris). Personally, when someone utters the words ‘Gruner Veltliner’ it conjures up images of brown leather suits and camp Germanic accents. This does not detract from my enjoyment of the wine, quite the opposite (what is not to love about a 1970s leather suit?).

RedtoBrown have tried a few of the more affordable Austrian Gruners, including the entry level Domane Wachau (link) and the 09 Nigl Gartling (review to follow), and have been impressed.

With this in mind, RedtoBrown were very keen to taste the second vintage of Gruner Veltliner from Canberra District winery, Lark Hill. Lark Hill is fully bio-dynamic and one of a handful of Australian wineries leading the charge with locally produced Gruner Veltliner.

The Lark Hill GruVee is a generous and vibrant wine. It has a seductive nose of citrus, herbs and subtle spice. On the palate, ripe pear, sweet root vegetables and subtle lemon are combined with a relatively soft but supportive acidity. The wine has a minerality that adds tightness, though is not dominant. It finishes with a hint of pepper and a pleasant hit of herbal bitterness that adds complexity.

The 2010 Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner is an enjoyable, approachable wine. At $45rrp it is not cheap, though the winery is not aiming for ‘cheap and cheerful’ with this wine. I respect that. The vines are young, and I will be interested to see if the wine evolves over the years to gain more minerality and secondary pepper and spice.
Aussie wineries like Lark Hill, Handorf Hill and a handful of others growing this grape should be commended – it is food friendly, should be attractive to a wide range of wine drinkers.

Rating:

/92pts* (* for the level of drinking enjoyment AND a for being new, rare wine variety grown in Australia - the two don't always go together!)
RRP:$45
ABV:12.5%
Website: http://www.larkhillwine.com.au/

Imported Whites: 2008 Domane Wachau Gruner Veltliner, 2008 A. Mano Fiano Greco, 2008 Dr Loosen Riesling

I’ve spent the past week lying on a beach in true Aussie summer holiday fashion, while also consuming plenty of summer quaffers. Three of these quaffers were imported white wines

2008 Domain Wachau Gruner Veltliner – Austria - $22 – I haven’t had many Gruner Veltliners, which is an Austrian variety that has plenty of similarities with Riesling. On the basis of this wine I’ll be looking to stock up on this variety. The wine had a lovely aromatic nose of apple and floral notes that had me confident the palate would be equally good . . . and it was. A juicy palate, with some nice fruit sweetness on the front palate, before finishing long and dry. Flavours of lemon, grapefruit, and pepper along with a nice sense of acidity and minerality. I’d assume it will age well over at least the next 5 years. Lovely drinking.

2008 A Mano Fiano Greco – Italy - $20 – Once again I haven’t had many Fianos, and don’t think I’ve ever had a Greco. Both are Italian grapes and this wine is from Puglia. A blend of 50% Fiano and 50% Greco. To enjoy this wine you’d have to enjoy a bit of sweetness in your wines. It’s in no way too sweet or cloying, but the overall impression is of fruit sweetness. It has a reasonably aromatic, intense nose of tropical fruit with hints of lychee and pears. On the palate it continues with the sweet, tropical fruit favours. The finish is of reasonable length and has a very interesting and enjoyable sweet and sour finish. If you are looking for a sweet summer quaffer that is a bit different then this is worth checking out.

2008 Dr Loosen Riesling – Germany - $23 – Always on the look out for good Riesling, and I’d had the 2008 Dr Loosen Blue Slate Riesling a while back and really enjoyed it. The Blue Slate was a dry style, whereas this wine, their other entry level Riesling, is a sweeter wine. Once again It’s not cloying or too sweet, but compared to the average Aussie Riesling it is definitely on the sweet side. It has a nice fruity nose, and is tasty on the palate with flavours of apple and lemon. If you like your Riesling a bit sweet then this might be for you, but personally for the same money I would be buying Dr Loosen’s Blue Slate Riesling or one of the many fantastic Aussie Rieslings you can get for $15-$20.

Red