COMMENTARY - Binge Drinking, Alcohol-Fuelled Violence and Small Wine Bars – an Alternate, Absurdist Reality?

The following interview took place at Kings Cross Police Station, 4:30AM one Sunday morning in an alternate reality.........

“I should have known when to stop drinking” James whispered to the police officers in the Kings Cross interview room, as he sat bent-over, head in his hands. “We were only out for a good time, but went to one wine bar too many”.

James and two of this three mates had been arrested an hour earlier for affray in Darlinghurst Road after spending the evening in Kings Cross. James was 15 minutes into his police interview, when he was quizzed on how much alcohol he and his friends had consumed on the night. James rattled off a list of bottles and glasses of wine from all wine regions and wine styles. The police officer interviewing looked over to the minute-taker in a knowing way – this was the third wine-related violent incident she had seen this weekend alone. The arrival of 4 new small wine bars in the Kings Cross area had led to considerably more instances of binge drinking and violent attacks in the last 18 months.

James groaned when he was asked what alcohol he had consumed on the night. “We started at a multi-level beer hall, but hated the ambient atmosphere and 2 for 1 shooters, so went to the first of many small wine bars” James recalled, before noting a $100 bottle of Champagne, a bottle of 10 year aged Semillon and a $180 bottle of Barolo had been shared between his mates at that bar alone  (while also listing several small mezze plates that were thoughtlessly consumed at the same time).

He spent the next ten minutes recounting his alcohol-fuelled binge at 3 other small wine bars, up until  the point the last bar shut at midnight (as per small bar licensing rules). “We should have taken the safer option and just gone to the Bourbon and Beefstake and done shots, or headed to a strip club” James lamented. “I knew hitting the wine bars was going to lead to trouble”.

With his face in his hands, and staring down the barrel of an assault charge and a criminal record, James continued answering questions.

The interview above is obviously fictional, though given some recent commentary regarding small Sydney inner city wine bars, you might have to pause for a moment before dismissing it as such. In light of some truly tragic violent crimes in the King Cross area, a public debate about alcohol-fuelled violence in the Sydney CBD has occured. Incredibly, part of this debate had focused on the recent proliferation of small wine bars as being one of the contributing factors behind the violence.
First there was former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who must hate natural wine and tasting plates, given his simplistic, reductionist slur on small (largely wine) bars, not to mention his personal attacks on Clover Moore. As a recent newspaper article notes:

“Mr Keating also attacked Cr Moore's policy of encouraging small bars around Kings Cross, outside the area subject to a freeze on new liquor licences imposed by the Labor government in 2009.

''Small bars are still where people drink,'' Mr Keating said. ''Clover Moore says this is cosmopolitan but the reality is these are more places where people can get a drink.'' (Link)

Paul – sure, people drink in a wine bar, but the last time I checked, Tequila Slammers or B52’s have never been recommended to me by a sommelier or informed waiter in a wine bar (or a whisky speakeasy for that matter).  In an entertainment strip full of mega bars and strip clubs, to single out 4-5 small bars that sell a comparatively miniscule volume of relatively expensive, contemplative alcoholic beverages is simplistic and misleading.



The new boutique Kings Cross Wine bar "Hells Burgundy Angels" opened
to much fanfare, particularly among members of the criminal underworld



More worryingly, we have the current NSW Hospitality Minister, George Souris coming out and stating publically that the rules governing the establishment of small bars in Sydney will be reviewed by the NSW government, suggesting small bars are contributing to problems in areas such as Kings Cross (Link).
Given the vice-like grip the Hotel lobby has had on consecutive State governments and the glut of massive, classless, poker machine filled beer bars and clubs in the Sydney CDB (and beyond), comments like these are frustrating, simplistic and arguably misleading.

To disproportionately focus on small wine bars as a contributing factor to violent crimes in Kings Cross is astounding, and seemingly politically motivated (if not motivated by the urgings of powerful lobby groups trying to deflect attention away from other causes for the binge drinking).

It is as if the scenario played out in the opening ‘interview’ is the norm, and the violent thugs and undesirables are avoiding the alcohol-free and trouble-free strip clubs, Bars and multi-level nightclubs, instead zeroing-in on the dark intimate wine bars to binge drink and wipe themselves out.

Clover Moore polarises opinions, but her changes to licensing laws have helped reinvigorate the small bar scene in Sydney over the last 4 years. This has been mentioned by RedtoBrown and others in the past and is a wonderful development for anyone who loves fine wine. People who says otherwise must not have visited a wine bar over this period.

Seeking refuge from the violent wine bar customers,
the group fled to the safe confines of the Hotel's Poker Machine room.

In light of the power of certain lobby groups, talk of restricting the sale of all drinks above 5% abv after midnight had been mooted. Thankfully, it appears that the State Government is implementing some alcohol and glass bans that target the sale of spirits and shots, but not the ongoing operation of small bars themselves. (Link) How these laws may impact on the opening of additional small bars is yet to be seen.
Regardless of the positive or negative impact of these bans, the misleading commentary regarding small bars has cast them in an undeservedly negative light. It is as if the fictional police interview at the top is how certain politicians and commentators view the impact of small wine bars in Sydney, and this view is so far from the truth, it is absurd.

Draytons Heritage Vines Liqueur Verdelho NV

Impressively packaged and presented, the Draytons Heritage Vines Liqueur Verdelho is a seductive and slick wine.
Deep, dark mahogany in colour with waves of dark caramel, espresso, roasted nuts, honey and rancio flavours/characters. The real surprise is the clean, jangly acidity at the back palate and finish, helping to avoid a cloying finish and balancing the powerful flavour hit upfront with a refreshing citrus element. Impressive length, with the flavours lingering nicely.
Given that the Australian winter is almost over, this wine was also delicious when served slightly chilled, so you can drink up in the warmer spring months. An impressive wine in its style.

Rating: 93pts
ABV: 17.5%
RRP: $55
Website: http://www.draytonswines.com.au/

2009 Thomas Motel Block Shiraz

I have tasted two bottles of the 09 Motel Block – one during a fantastic Hunter Valley taste and tweet event in 2011, and this bottle. Both have been robust, powerful renditions of Hunter Shiraz.

The Motel Block is one of the single vineyard wines from Hunter Valley wine making maestro, Andrew Thomas. Drawn from a dry grown, 2.8ha vineyard planted in 1967,  the nose is dark, brooding with quality sweet cedar oak, dark chocolate and some sweet roasted fennel, while on the palate, there are robust black fruits. With air and time in the decanter, the wine mellowed out to reveal more red fruits, yet with an earthy Hunter vibe. Aniseed and allspice become more prominent once opened and the wine freshened up further over time.

Unlike some warm climate wines, the Motel Block has powerful fruit on the palate, though refreshing acid on the finish: a wine that has oak, fruit and natural acid in fine balance. Should age nicely and mellow in old age.

Rating: 94

RRP: $45

ABV: 14.5%
Website: www.thomaswines.com.au

Scarborough 2010 Blue Label Chardonnay

The Scarborough winery in the Hunter Valley devotes considerable attention to Chardonnay, arguably the global king of white grapes, though a second class citizen in a region (justifiably) dominated by Semillon. Still, they manage to produce very reliable, regionally expressive, modern interpretations of Chardonnay in a variery of styles.The Blue Label is the entry level, accessible wine in this range.
It smells and tastes of subtly spicy ripe peach and yellow nectarine fruit (the fruit flavours being what I like to call the Hunter 'fruit salad' flavour), though on the palate there is also a nicely balancing squeeze of lemon and a hint of lemon zest. Overall there is generous fruit flavour at the front and mid palate, a velvet like texture, finishing gently with some spicy old oak and subtle smokiness.

Good value for money and a nice example of a modern classic hunter Chardonnay: it has the flavour and the fruit, the oak is not overdone, though present, and there is enough zing to make it a refreshing wine to drink with several different dishes. Despite the arctic weather on the east coast of Australia at the moment, it's summertime, drink up.

Rating: 90pts+ (+ is for dinner party versatility and its ability to make a Sauvignon Blanc drinker understand they can get their ‘fix’ plus so much more without resorting to their white wine of choice).

ABV: 13.0%
Price: $20
Website: www.scarboroughwine.com.au/

EDIT: In light of this interesting article on Australian Chardonnay styles by Huon Hooke in a major Australian broadsheet newspaper (link: here), I would specifically note that this wine is on the leaner side of ripe. It may be a symptom of trying more and more of the modern Australian Chardonnays that are in the leaner, 'Chablis' style that I refer to the 'ripe fruits' in this wine. Compared to the derided 'Dolly Parton' 1980's era oaky tropical chardonnay, the Blue Label is more on the taut and trim side of things. However, it is not anorexic (a fate befalling more Australian Chardonnays as the lean trend mentioned in the article continues to gather pace). For the price, I maintain it would be a popular choice for many, especially who like the 'just right' category of fruit to acid/lean balance.
RB 13/12/11

Go Chard or Go Home - Hunter Valley Chardonnay Tasting

The Hunter Valley is synonymous with Semillon - Australia’s finest, most age worthy Semillon at that. It also happens to be the birthplace of modern Chardonnay in Australia, a lesser-known fact. To showcase what the Hunter Valley can do with this most noble of varieties, on 15 March in Sydney, the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association organised a sizeable single blind tasting of 17 Hunter Valley Chardonnays.

The tasting provided all involved with a solid introduction/reaffirmation of what makes good quality Hunter Valley Chardonnay so appealing: a consistent number of  wines with flavours of largely yellow and white stone fruit, some leaning more to green melon, others fig, and less commonly some citrus flavours. The use of oak in most of the wines was evident, though was generally well considered and in balance with the fruit, leading to a creamy cashew nuttiness and subtle spice that did not overpower.

One obvious point of difference on the night was the 2009 Polin Polin Tudor Chardonnay. It had crisper acidity than the norm, more citrus flavours and a subtle almost Riesling-like minerality. Other wines in the line-up, including the 2009 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 was framed by nice acidity and finished surprisingly restrained given the primary fruit on show.

The 2009 Scarborough White Label (reviewed previously on this site) was of typically high standard and an example of sensitive use of quality oak to maximise the end result – typical Hunter Chardonnay fruit profile with the intelligent use of nice oak adding a spicy restrain and complexity to the wine. The 2009 De Iuliis Limited Release was another wine that stood out for its oak/barrel driven complexity with a nice spicy smokiness adding interest.

After tasting the 17 wines, it was clear that the Hunter Valley produces chardonnay in a broadly recognisable style (a riper style with nice stone fruit and sometimes fig flavours, creamy spicy oak and slight tropical fruit in the warmer vintages). However, the tasting also reinforced what we have found in the past – Hunter winemakers are successfully varying the regional chardonnay style, producing appealing ‘point of difference’ wines in the process.

Thanks must go to the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association for organising the tasting (which in included a Shiraz vertical that will appear on RedtoBrown in upcoming weeks as well) – an enjoyable and educational event that effectively showcased what the Hunter Valley has to offer.

Website: http://www.winehuntervalley.com.au/

2007 Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz (Hunter Valley)

Yet another wine that demonstrates the importance of giving a wine plenty of air and time before passing judgement. Initially I was a tad disappointed with this wine, if only because I had high expectations from this label from as good a vintage as 07 in the Hunter. By the end of the second day however, it had come together very nicely and all concerns had been dispelled.

Rosehill is to my mind a floral, feminine expression of Hunter Shiraz and the 07 is very much of this ilk. An inviting nose of lifted floral aromas, warm earth, and cherry, leads on to a medium-bodied palate with lovely texture and drying tannin. Excellent line and length of cherry fruit with good grip. Tasty.

If you would like to try a low-ish alcohol, medium-bodied, aged, Hunter Shiraz, you could do far worse than to put this wine in the cellar for 5-10 years. Lovely wine.


Rated:

RRP: $35

ABV: 13.5%

Website: http://www.mountpleasantwines.com.au/

Red

Margan Shiraz 2007 - Hunter Valley

The 2007 Margan Shiraz has a big H Hunter Valley nose of earth, leather and red berries. The flavours on the palate are predominantly in the red fruit spectrum with some nice dark plum, spice and the distinctive Hunter Valley earthyness that adds character and charm. The acidity is pleasantly sour/tangy (especially on the finish), the tannins chalky and less prominant than when I tasted another bottle in early 2010.  Given the vintage and the development in between tastings, this should age nicely for a while yet, though it is drinking very well now.

/ 89+Pts


ABV:13.5%
Price: $20-25
Website: http://www.margan.com.au/

2010 Scarborough White Label Semillon (Hunter Valley, Sample)

The White Label is Scarborough's premium Semillon, though at $25, it gives you an idea of what a bargain Hunter Semillon generally is.

Everything is in place for this Semillon to age well, and yet as I’ve found with a number of 2010 Hunter Semillons, it has a touch more generosity than you might typically expect as this stage of youth. It has a lovely line of citrus flavour that’s underpinned by a clean, yet unobtrusive acidity. Excellent length and persistence of flavour, along with a beautiful streak of minerality.

The first half of this bottle I shared with Brown at a boozy Friday lunch at a Teppanyaki restaurant, and it was lovely with some seared tuna. The remainder of the bottle I had at home a couple of days later, at which point it had developed some nice oily, lanolin notes that point to where it will confidently head under screwcap over the next 10 years.

Quality Hunter Semillon. 4 Stars.


Rated:


RRP: $25
ABV: 10.5%
Website: www.scarboroughwine.com.au


Red

Rosemount Botanicals Sauvignon Blanc infused with lemon and elderflower (NV) (Retail)

Polonius: [Aside] “Though this be madness, yet there is method in't”.
(Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 193–206)

“What works on paper, has the tendency to ride on vapor”
Fading into Obscurity – Sloan

Some concepts look great on paper and work perfectly in theory. Sometimes market research and focus groups can anticipate consumer trends, assisting a company/industry to make a tidy profit in the process. On other occasions all the planning, research, brainstorming and marketing spin can make no difference whatsoever to the end result (just ask the Federal Australian Labor Party).

According to the Group Managing Director of Rosemount, the Rosemount Botanicals range of white wines are ‘aimed at making wine more attractive to drinkers who previously avoided it and to wine drinkers who would not normally drink during the day’ (Link)

The Botanicals range consists of three white wines that are lightly carbonated and infused with different fruits and florals - Chardonnay with apple and cucumber; Pinot Grigio with blood orange and rosewater; and the subject of this review, Sauvignon Blanc with lemon and elderberry.

I must admit, I was intrigued to see if these wines tasted as bad as they sound (in my opinion at least). It would be hypocritical to criticise the Botanicals range and snigger from the sidelines without trying them.

The colour of the wine is almost clear – like a glass of carbonated water with a teaspoon of Bickfords lime cordial. It smells sickly sweet - lychee, gooseberry and florals. It tastes sickly, cloyingly sweet - simple, green pie apples, lychee, and sugared ripe honeydew melon flavours are followed by an unpleasant bitter lemon rind finish that not even the high residual sugar can mask. Finally, there is no pretence of structure, length or intensity. One glass was enough to get the idea, and that was a struggle.

Rosemount are promoting the Botanicals range as chic and new, the fruit and floral infusions enlivening the wine. The cynic in me would argue that no amount of spin or marketing can make this range anything more than an over-engineered 2010 version of West Coast Cooler in a pretty, Bombay Sapphire-inspired 750ml bottle. Unfortunately, stranger things have happened.

All in all, I would have to say that there is no method in the fruit and herb infused madness. Surely there are more effective ways of converting non-wine drinkers to the joys of wine – making wine and not fizzy wine cooler might be a start.


     Rated



    RRP: $17.99
    ABV:8.5%
    Website: http://www.rosemountestate.com.au/

2010 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon (Hunter Valley)

You normally see this wine in bottle shops as a 5 year old cellar release, so I nabbed this when I saw it the other day.

Very young Semillon often doesn’t provide a lot of drinking pleasure, and the less than great examples I often think are akin to drinking water with a squeeze of lemon. Generally speaking greatness and drinking pleasure for Hunter Semillon comes with some time in the cellar.

2010 Hunter Semillons might be touch different however. I tasted the 2010 Tyrrell’s Semillons a few weeks back and found them to be richer and more expressive than I would have expected. This 2010 Elizabeth follows the same trend.

If I’d smelled this blind when just out of the fridge I reckon I would have picked it as a Riesling. It initially has a very riesling-like floral and citrus nose. Once warmed up a touch it revealed its origins more clearly adding in some subtle tropical notes. It drinks pretty well now with a nice balance between its acidity and citrus flavours on the one hand, and rich honey-like flavours through the mid-palate on the other. It possibly comes up a touch short on the finish, but as a wine that you can typically pick up for $10-$15, it’s a very minor quibble. 3.5 Stars for now and a “+” for where it might well be in 5-10 years time. A lovely Elizabeth.

Scored:
+

RRP: ?
ABV: 11.5%
Website: www.mountpleasantwines.com.au


Red

2000 Holtsbaum Shiraz (Hunter Valley)

I've had a few bottles of this recently, and when its not affected by cork taint or oxidised, its a lovely aged Hunter Shiraz. To me it's just another example of why screwcap is the far superior closure. The winery itself was appparently sold a number of years ago.

It immediately declares its 10 years of bottle age with a brickish red colour. It has a lovely bouquet to smell of musk, cherry, and earth. It's medium-bodied with nice sour cherry and a classic earthiness. There's still enough fruit and acidity to suggest it will continue to age. It's ABV is just 12.1%. It's not particularly complex, and will never achieve greatness, but I just really enjoyed drinking this.

Rated:




Red

2007 Thomas Wines Individual Vinyard Sweetwater Shiraz – Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley is an underrated and underappreciated wine region. Its rich history and ageworthy Semillons and Shiraz deserve a wider audience locally and internationally. Sometimes I think that if the people of New South Wales were more parochial, or if the Hunter Valley was further away from Sydney, had less golf courses, Bed and Breakfast accommodation etc, it would be better known and more appreciated.
At the present time, you would be hard placed to find better examples of Hunter Valley Shiraz and Semillon than those produced by Andrew Thomas. The Thomas Braemore Semillon is up there with the best of Tyrrell's, Brokenwood and Mount Pleasant, same for the Kiss Shiraz.
Prior to a recent trip to the Hunter Valley, I nabbed a bottle of the Thomas Sweetwater Shiraz, one of many ‘individual vineyard’ wines in the Thomas range.
The Sweetwater has red fruit aromas, with raspberry and all-spice prominent. There is nice, and quite obvious vanilla (oak) scent on the nose, though not on the palate. In the mouth the wine has a juicy texture, silky tannins and dominant fruit and it finishes with a bit of sweetness and persistence. This is a moreish wine – the fruit is to the fore. I found myself onto my second glass in a flash, such is the effortless enjoyability of this wine.
To provide some indication of its cellaring potential, on the second day the vanilla oak was still apparent on the nose, and the wine was more savoury on the palate. The red fruit flavours had subsided somewhat, with subtle liquorice, aniseed and slight dark chocolate flavours emerging. The acidity was a bit more pronounced.

Summary: a lovely, highly drinkable and individual wine from a very capable winemaker. (2 asterix are for the uniqueness of this wine - the trend towards single-site Hunter Valley wines is something that I am happy to see, and look out for (eg Tyrrell's single site/vineyard Semillons and Shiraz).

Details
Rated:

**

RRP: $35
ABV: 13.8%
Website: http://www.thomaswines.com.au/

2009 Blue Label Scarborough Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, Sample)

Scarborough’s Blue Label only sees old oak, and is made in a clean and fresh style. It is in marked contrast to the heavily oaked Yellow Label, and your preference between the two will depend largely on what style of Chardonnay you like. It has a nose of peach, lemon, and a bit of tropical fruit. On the palate there is a reasonable amount of richness along with a touch of spice. The flavours move more towards grapefruit as it delivers a decent finish. Good, easy drinking and well priced. A wine to be drunk and enjoyed now.

Rated:


RRP: $19
Website: www.scarboroughwine.com.au

2007 Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay (Sample)

I was impressed to find that Scarborough wine maker, Ian Scarborough, specialises in making Chardonnay (The Hunter being established Semillon and Shiraz territory). My personal favourite of their range (Blue, Yellow and White Labels) is the White Label, which I think resembles a white Burgundy style as closely as any Chardonnay in the Hunter.
The Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay is made in a relatively powerful 'Australian' style. It is bright straw/yellow in colour, and smells of lightly caramelised nectarine, subtle fruit salad and a bit of spicy oak.
On the palate, nectarine and melon fruit is balanced with similar levels of spicy French oak. Importantly with a Chardonnay in this style, the oak is nicely integrated, and the fruit does not stray into over-ripe fruit salad territory (fruit salad flavours being my Hunter Chardonnay ‘trigger’ descriptor, for better or for worse).
There is nice creamy texture in the mouth (the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation) and it finishes with decent persistence and a hint of crushed cashew and grapefruit. I would personally recommend drinking the Yellow Label young, unless you don’t mind the oak growing in prominence with age.

In summary, an affordable, versatile wine that does not overpower with oak or sweet fruit, and is nicely balanced with admirable structure.

Details:
Rated:

RRP: $21
ABV: 13%
Website: http://www.scarboroughwine.com.au/

PS: I recommend a trip to the award-winning Scarborough cellar door if you ever visit the Hunter Valley.

Meerea Park Tasting – Alexander Munro Range

Last week, Brown and I went to another excellent Oak Barrel Tasting. This time it was with Garth Eather, co-owner of Meerea Park in the Hunter Valley (the other owner is his brother Rhys). The highlights of the night were as expected their premium Alexander Munro Range:

2005 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon – the grapes come off the Braemore vineyard. Given that Semillon has comparatively little in the way of winemaking input, it would be great to taste this alongside the 05 Andrew Thomas 'Braemore' Semillon (which as the name suggests comes of the same vineyard) to see what - if any - differences there are. Anyway, that’s for another time. This is just starting to show some aged characteristics but is still a largely fresh, youngish Semillon. A slightly developed colour, it has a nose of citrus, some toasty, oily notes along with a hint of honey. On the palate this wine is very impressive. With great acidity and balance, it has lovely fruit before delivering a long finish with just a nice touch of tartness. Everything suggests it will have a long, long life. (RRP:$35)

2009 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Chardonnay – This wine is probably a bit young to be drinking right now, though is clearly a good quality Chardonnay. It has an understated nose of stonefruit verging on tropical fruit along with some nice oak. It has a lovely smooth mouthfeel and a long finish of somewhat tart grapefruit flavours. Needs another year or two before drinking. (RRP: $35)

2007 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz – This is a wonderful Hunter Shiraz, which is both typical and atypical of the region at the same time. It is slightly atypical in that it has a perfumed, almost lifted nose of berry and cherry fruits, while nevertheless having a bit of typical Hunter earthiness and some nice vanilla oak. Talking to Garth about this he says that the perfumed nose is the result of about 35% of the stems being added to the ferment. The wine has great length and structure, delivering beautiful berry fruit on the front palate before turning largely savoury with sour cherry and a bit of earthiness. There are fine tannins and a bit of spice in support. This drank really well with a bit of air, but it is a special for the cellar. (RRP: $70)

1998 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz – tasting this wine more or less confirmed my thoughts about the 07 being a long term wine. The 98 Alexander Munro had a lovely aged nose still with plenty of primary, cherry fruit, along with expected leathery, earthy notes that are very much 'of the Hunter'. On the palate it also still had some nice grip and tannin with a beautifully smooth, long finish. Some complexity here with many years still in front of it. (RRP: $110)


Red


Footnote: As luck would have it, I (Brown) was struck down with a bad cold on the night of the tasting. Such a shame, given that I loved the wines and can only imagine how much nicer they would be when fighting fit. Even at less that 100% tasting capacity, the wines all have lovely noses, and the length and structure of the Semillon and Shiraz in particular was impressive. I hope to try some more Meerea Park wines in late July when I visit the Hunter, and will report back on any new wines in the line-up.

Brown

2005 Lowe Merlot – Mudgee (Cellar Door)

I don’t trust myself when it comes to wines I buy at a cellar door. If you get talking to the person involved in making the wine, whilst sitting in amongst wine barrels and overlooking an invariably picturesque valley, I think it’s pretty easy to get caught up in the moment and see only the positive in a wine. Having purchased the 2005 Lowe Merlot off the back of such an experience over the Easter long weekend at Lowe Family Wines in Mudgee, I was a bit worried it mightn’t be as good as I'd thought it was when I cracked open a bottle the other night. Happily, in this case, my fears were unfounded.

This wine holds a lot of appeal for me. I like the fact it’s an age-worthy Merlot, I like the fact it tastes like a wine from Mudgee, and perhaps crucially, I love assonance in a wine’s name . . .

It has an interesting nose with aromas of rose, berries, plums and black olives. On the palate it is medium bodied and smooth, with tasty red fruits, chocolate, earth, black olive, and a touch of spice. It finishes with decent length and fine tannins. There’s a bit of complexity here, and it has that nice balance between sweet and savoury flavours that I personally find very appealing. Given where the wine is at, I’d assume it has at least another 5 years in it, at which point I’d reckon it will be an even more enjoyable wine (assuming you like aged wine). Give this wine a good decant first.

Details
Rated:


RRP: $28
ABV: 13.0%
Website: www.lowewine.com


Red

2006 Tyrrell’s Stevens Single Vineyard Semillon – Hunter Valley (Retail)

Hunter Valley Semillon is a national treasure. It’s the one grape variety that we indisputably do better than any other country in the world, and the Hunter Valley is indisputaby the best region in Australia for Semillon. It’s a wine that can sail well beyond 10 years, and sometimes 20 years, and yet most good examples can typically be bought for prices somewhere between $15-$30.

Tyrrell’s are not only one of the oldest wineries in the Hunter valley (est. in 1858), but are also generally considered the finest producers of Hunter Valley Semillon. With all that heritage and pedigree to live up to, the 2006 Stevens Semillon more than holds its own. It’s a superb Semillon.

It’s drinking beautifully now, but has a long, long way to go before reaching its toasty, mature peak. It has a spritzy, almost sherbet like nose of citrus aromas. On the palate it has lovely acidity and minerality, but this is also matched by some scrumptious rich, oily, honey like flavours. It has a long dry finish that interestingly has a hint of nuttiness. Great balance and drinkability, it’s still a fresh, youngish Semillon, though those toasty elements that will dominate in later life are evident. Loved drinking this and will love it even more with age. Under screwcap it’s assured of long life.

Details
Rated:
+


RRP: $25
ABV: 10.5%
Website: www.tyrrells.com.au


Red

2005 Huntington Estate Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Cellar Door)

Huntington is arguably Mudgee’s most famous winery, having been started in 1969 by Bob Roberts. Bob Roberts was one of the Bulletin Place crowd of the 60's and 70's that was headed by Len Evans and included other like James Halliday. Whereas Halliday and Evans set up wineries in the Hunter Valley, Roberts decided to go further afield and settled on Mudgee. Given this history, I was really interested to try Huntington wines on my recent visit there.

Good Mudgee reds tend to have a rusticity to them that I personally find appealing. Typically they will be held back a few years more than wines from most other regions and in terms of characteristics generally display an earthiness, along with elegant, drying tannins. As such, the 2005 Huntington Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is very much a Mudgee red.

It’s not the darkest of reds and this wine already has a brickish element to it. The lovely bouquet on this wine is its highlight, with well integrated aromas of chocolate, berry fruit, earth, and a hint of coconut. It’s one of those wines that you keep going back to the nose, with its complexity always offering something slightly different. On the palate its medium bodied, has decent line and length, with those lovely chocolate and berry flavours and a pleasant drying earthiness. The only issue I have with it is a bit of volatile acidity, but this doesn’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment that the wine delivers. It’s a wine that is nicely balanced between its earthy, rustic characteristics, and it’s sweeter, fruitier elements. It’s drinking really well right now, and as long as that touch of volatile acidity becomes better integrated, I think it could become quite a beautiful aged Cabernet in 5-10 years.

Details
Rated:+


ABV: 13.0%
RRP: $35
Website: www.huntingtonestate.com.au


Red

2006 Rosby Cabernet Sauvignon - (Cellar Door)

I’ve previously written about the unique nature of the Rosby vineyard in Mudgee and their 06 Shiraz -

http://redtobrownwinereview.blogspot.com/2010/04/2006-rosby-shiraz-mudgee-16-cellar-door.html

Their 06 Cabernet Sauvignon and 06 Shiraz are two wines that absolutely smell and taste of being from the same place, however the Cab Sav is a step up from the Shiraz (noting that I really enjoyed the Shiraz). The difference between the two wines is the natural difference between the grape varieties and the fact that cab sav performs better in Mudgee (in my opinion).

A rich, fragrant nose of blackcurrant, plum, earth, and chocolate. On the palate it has structure, balanced tannins, and persistence. The flavours on the front-mid palate are those which are on the nose, but the finish of the wine is slightly more savoury, with a hint of sourness. As a wine it really has a lot in common with its Shiraz sibling from the same vineyard, but it is just that much more complex, structured, and simply enjoyable. Has at least another 5 years in it, and possibly a lot longer. Fantastic value at $18 a bottle!

Details
Rated:



ABV: 13.6%
RRP: $18 (in a case, cellar door)
Website: www.rosby.com.au


Red

2006 Rosby Shiraz – Mudgee - $16 (cellar door)

Rosby was a winery that I hadn’t heard of before I visited Mudgee last weekend. It’s now a winery that I think I’ll be following with interest.

It's a bit off the beaten track. Whereas most of the vineyards and wineries in Mudgee are visible from the main roads, Rosby is a hidden away single vineyard at the end of a long-dirt track in an undulating part of Mudgee. A 15 acre single vineyard on a gentle slope containing Shiraz and Cab Sav, in a picturesque setting. It sounds great, looks great, and importantly there is the substance to support it.

There are two unique things about this vineyard that distinguish it. Firstly the vines are planted on a red basalt soil that is different from any of the surrounding soils. It’s a soil in which the vines have to struggle. Secondly, at 530 metres in elevation it is about 100 metres higher than most other vineyards in the region, giving it a cooler aspect throughout the year. The vineyard yields 2 tonnes per acre.

The result is a medium-bodied shiraz of balance that has lovely ripe fruit. It has a distinctive nose of plum, a gentle earthiness, and a hint of chocolate. It is smooth and tasty with the same flavours carrying down the palate with decent length and gentle tannins. It’s a highly enjoyable wine and at the price, superb value. You could cellar it for a few more years if you wanted to though I think it’s drinking very nicely right now. Their other wine from the vineyard is the Cab Sav and I think that this is an even better wine. I’ll be reviewing this soon.

With the vines only being 15 years old and the vineyard moving towards organic management, the best is certainly yet to come with Rosby.


Red