Finally!!! 2013 in review - The Best

You can throw all the cliches you want at this one, but finally I am releasing my best of 2013. But hey, if James Halliday can release the Wine Companion in August with the following year's title on it with current release wines then, 'what the heckity heck bang chuck', as my five year old son Henry would say. Sorry James.

There is also a new moniker to add to the blog: The Paul Keating Wine, '...the recession we had to have' here becomes, 'the wine you have to have'. Yeah, what are you going to do hey.



So, 2013 hey. For me it was dominated by reds and a few steamy imports. So without further adieu and the blah blahs, here we have the best of 2013.

Mac Forbes Strathbogie Ranges RS16 Riesling 2013 - a most beautiful wine with the RS16 effectively telling the drinker that it has 16 grams per litre of residual sugar. But you wouldn't know. Sexy as nuts this one.

Man O' War Waiheke Island Dreadnought 2009 - pretty much the perfect Right bank blend you can have; from the Right bank or for anywhere for that matter. Stunning balance of fruit weight and minerality and an early club house leader.

BK Adelaide Hills Cult Syrah 2012 - the 2011 of this was my fave for 2012 and an example of certain wine experts going far to fucking early in writing off 2011 (Just today sampled a Geelong 2011 Pinot Noir that was simply singing!!!). Superb balance of cool climate Syrah - blackberry, soy sauce and black olive tapanade. Will not be the last time you see those tasting notes typed. Sorry no pic, must have deleted.

Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rose 2013 - Not only the best Rose's of last year but almost the top dog. A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and a squirt of Merlot (yes Merlot you dilettantes), this wine got me with its classic onion skin colour and funky fermier cider mid palate. Oink oink!!!

Precipice Yarra Valley Syrah 2012 - Pipped at the post for wine in show at the Yarra Valley Wine Show. Not bad for a bloke making his first wine on his own. And the bloke is Marty Singh. Watch this name.

Cavallotto Piedmont Dolceto d'Alba 2011 - I love Dolcetto and so should you: tart, crunchy, little tickle of herbs, earth, sex and other wicked stuff. Just get it.

The Melbourne Gin Company - Save the World - drink Gin. This one. Go on. Nice one Marksy!!!

Il Borghetto Toscana Montigiano Sangiovese 2011 - This is the wine that stopped me dead in my tracks. Seriously. What a wine. Seriously (again), this wine could be confused with a rootin-tootin red Burgundy. It is that good.

Giovanni Almondo Piedmont Roero Arneis 2010 - A wine that delivers an uncanny balance of tart bitter lemon and grapefruit with beautiful ripe pear and quince. A stunner.

Vinea Marson Heathcote Syrah 2008 - Only the Bard can do this justice. A near perfect wine, but 100/100 really.

So there you have it. There were definitely some wines that are unlucky not to feature; Stoney Vineyard, Abbazia Di Novacella and Wickhams Road. But hey, 2014 is a big year, or 10 months to go anyway.

But the Paul Keating wine for 2013 - Il Borghetto Toscana Montigiano Sangiovese 2011. Twas the clubhouse leader back in September and kept the lead all the way to midnight December 31, 2013.

Special thanks and recognition to John, Paul, George and Ringo and the all time classic 'Revolver' playing throughout my banging of keys. xxooxx

Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013

The best Rosé In Australia. That's pretty much it. Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013. Red fruit - tart; Acid - bright; Freshness - there. But the big winner is a flavour that you just don't see in Rosé, be it here or the old world. The flavour is French fermier cider.  I cannot explain it, its just there. And its great. Smokin Hot Great.

Drink with ouzo cured smoked salmon, made by me and cold
Drink till 2015
97
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $25 Seddon Wine Store

For Nick - Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010

In my last post I had a request for more dirty laundry and sub 80 wine scores. The dirty laundry bit I guess is something that needn't be aired; I'm trying to build a wine business, not torpedo it. The sub 80 wines; for me it’s, "if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all." But what I can do Nick is 'near sub 80' scores. And with that we have another tag line. Hooray!

So Nick, you’re in luck. In going through my ‘wine photos’ file this morning I have come across quite a few wines that fit in to the 'near sub 80', and here is where we kick it off. The Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010. I reckon I have bypassed this wine at Dan’s a good dozen times; don’t know why, just never reached out for it I guess. So on the occasion I do grab it the realisation of why I didn’t grab it is there in spades.

In the glass the wine is almost rosé in appearance and the nose has an instant hit of strawberry. And that’s it. The palate mimics the nose with primary strawberry and what I believe is a relatively high residual sugar dose – very sweet. Once again I look at the wine and ask myself whether it’s supposed to be a rosé; dunno is all I’ve got.

There you have it Nick, one for you.

Drink with minute steak
Drink now
near sub 80
Screwcap (I think) 13.5%v/v $25 Dan Murphy’s Coburg

Listel Pink Flamingo ‘Gris de Gris’ Camargue Rosé 2008

If the Godfather of Kitsch was a wine it would be Pink Flamingo! A brand new arrival to our shores, the Listel Pink Flamingo ‘Gris de Gris’ Camargue Rosé 2008, is one of the many fine wines that I am representing through Vranken Pommery Australia (cha-ching plug!).

Now, for the record, ‘Gris de Gris’ is not a Pinot Gris or a grey wine, but a pink wine that is decidedly paler than most rosé wines because it is made exactly like a white wine where the fruit – all dark fruit – is pressed as soon as it gets to the winery and not bled or a saignee, which is I guess the traditional way to make rosé wine.

This wine is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan and comes from some of the oldest vines in France due to they were not affected by phylloxera in the 1880’s because of the fine, almost beach like sand that they are planted in.

As said before, the wine is very pale in colour with an almost peach fuzz about it. A simple waft of delicate raspberry and musk precede the same in the mouth with a real slippery, vinous mouth feel not unlike a Marsanne or Roussanne.

This wine is very brand new here, and so far Mr. Wilkinson in Brunswick the only bar to have this listed, and they are pouring it for about $8 – top stuff I say!

Drink with charcuterie meats
Drink now
No rating – its part of my portfolio
Quality cork 12.5%v/v at Mr. Wilkinson, or if you are interested shoot me an email on tcohen@vrankenpommery.com.au

Mount Gisborne Montague Pinot Noir Rosé 2009

Bright and almost stark, the Mount Gisborne Montague Pinot Noir Rosé 2009 is definitely not one of the garden variety Rosé’s that are currently stacking the shelves around Melbourne, and the rest of Australia for that matter, right now.

Made in the ‘Saingee’ method using the run-off or bleed of the main Pinot Noir ferment, this wine saw no new oak in its ferment process, with very old oak simply being a vessel for this wine as David Ell noted while having a little natter in my kitchen a month ago. In the bottle and in the glass, this wine has a definite haze look about it – almost a blush look as Erin countered; this is a result of no fining or filtering of the primary product. The nose is very prickly with a definite crushed strawberry feel about it. If the nose was anything to go by, the expectation of strawberry on the palate would not be surprising, yet this wine grabs a bit more than was expected in the mouth with, yes, strawberry, but also a lovely savoury feel about it thanks to the old oak imparting some juice from several vintages holding Pinot Noir.

Definitely the best Rosé I have seen in a few years.

Drink till 2011
Drink with grilled BBQ pork chops
90
Screwcap 14%v/v
Contact Mount Gisborne Wines for stockists and $$

http://www.mountgisbornewines.com.au/

South Pack tasting @ Transit Lounge Fed Sqaure, August 2009

It has been four months since I finished up at ‘The Point’ restaurant in Albert Park as Head Sommelier and traded in my ‘Laguiole’ wine knife in for Huggies night time nappies and sterilising teats twice a day – oh the joys of parenthood I hear you sigh. One of the great perks of being a sommelier of a restaurant like The Point was the steady stream of invitations to what seemed to be daily wine tastings in and around Melbourne; and it is no exaggeration when I say daily!

With so many producers out there trying to sell you their product, these tastings were not only important for them, but also for the trade in knowing the product you were selling. But us sommeliers are a busy lot, so you sort of have to pick and choose the tastings that are not only going to interest you, but tastings of wines that have a realistic shot of getting on to your list.

But as I said, for four months now it has been nappies and walks and 3am feeds. So it was a quick yes that James and Claire Lance from ‘Punch’ wines got from an invite I received from them for a tasting at Transit Lounge in Federation Square put together by South Pack, a wine group repersenting new Victorian winemakers.

So on a rainy Monday afternoon I toddled off to Fed Square and to probably one of the best ‘independent’ tastings I have been to. ‘... a fiercely independent collection of likeminded souls.’, read the handout as I entered the room filled with sommeliers, restaurant managers, wine retailers and wine writers, and on show were some of the brightest and hippest producers from Victoria; Barney and David from Allies, Timo Mayer, Luke Lambert, Lincoln Riley and Adam Foster of Foster e Rocco and Syrahmi.

What made this group of winemakers ‘likeminded’, was that all of them were singing the praises of low alcohol wine. This is not to be mistaken with ‘low carb’ or ‘diet wine’, but wine that is driven by savoury tannins and piercing acid made for drinking with food, and wine not driven by massive oak, ripe fruit and seem splitting alcohol; I reckon the highest volume was about 13.5%v/v shared by a few of the bigger reds on show.

As I said, it had been a while since I have done something like this, so it was good to see my own likeminded people as well and swap the obligatory story of horror diners and more to the point, horror nappies. But back to the wine.

With glass in hand, I tried to start with whites first, but the first stop was Luke Lambert with some really sexy Nebbiolo, my favourite wine – a 2008 and 2007 release with the 2007 being the standout with great early characteristics of Nebbiolo coming through. On to Foster e Rocco and then to Punch for a catch up with Claire and James and a chat on how everything is going out at the property since the February 7 bushfires; and things are looking good with minimal damage to the vines, but not so lucky with the winery however.

On the other side of the room were Barney and David from Allies, two of the nicest blokes in the industry I reckon. On heading over there I was pleasantly greeted by David with a warm ‘Hello Tim’ – do I know this bloke from somewhere I thought, which was also very easy to read from my expression when he then politely said, ‘that’s what your name tag says’ – I told you it had been a while. So for the next 20 odd minutes I learnt a lot more about these two, and more particular their wines and vineyards, which were all dynamite and very affordable also.

From here I ventured over to ‘macforbes’ followed by Jamsheed and finally with the very affable German, Timo Mayer. Having made wine with Gembrook and now Tibooburra, Timo has firmly entrenched himself as one of the Valleys more astute, and busiest, winemakers. And his current selection under his very Chambertin label, together with Bloody Hill and Big Betty labels, puts Timo in almost every corner of the Yarra Valley.

After having a wee chat with Timo, it was time to go. A quick beer with Claire Lance and I was off to Rockpool where I was meeting some of the aforementioned likeminded heads for some ‘witty’ banter, burgers, wine and more beer as well as a debate that is still going on now – Is Twin Peaks a child of the 80’s or the 90’s? My money is in the 90’s.

Here are the highlights of a fantastic line up:

Foster e Rocco Sangiovese Rosé 2009 - a fantastic pink number for the upcoming Spring Carnival; soft in colour with fragrant palate that is both dry and refreshing.

Punch Berry’s Creek Vineyard 2008 Noble Riesling – low alcohol makes this wine not only a great drop with season tropical fruit, but also as an aperitif with heaps of zingy acid.

Luke Lambert Heathcote Reserve Nebbiolo 2007 – a super drop with gorgeous notes of Nebbiolo characteristics coming through and at Barolo alcohol levels – 13.5%v/v, not the Australian levels.

Luke Lambert Heathcote Reserve Syrah 2007 – layered with liquorice and super firm tannins, this wine will definitely demand time and a decanter when you open her up (12.5%v/v).

Syrahmi ‘Maelstrom’ Heathcote Shiraz 2008 – ripe red fruit alongside a whack of pepper and perfume; a great follow up to the 2007 ‘Don’.

Allies Tuerong Viognier Saone 2008 – a wine that is definitely a personal style rather than the big oily imitators of the Northern Rhone. There is still apricot, but with a more balanced palate with soft acid and lowish alcohol – 13.5%v/v.

Allies Heathcote Stone Axe Shiraz 2008 – an immense wine this, with deep garnet red and no over ripe fruit make this one of the standouts of the tasting. This spent 19 days on skin which ended up extracting a perfect amount of tannin to balance a very savoury palate.

Mayer Yarra Valley ‘The Doktor’ Pinot Noir 2008 – the standout wine for me; 100% whole bunch pressed wine displaying a very complex nose and palate with savoury spice and game already noticeable. And you know what Timo said about the wine, ‘...it works!!’ Yes it does!

Yarra Burn Yarra Valley Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rosé 2004

Spring Carnival is in the air here in Melbourne so it is the time of the year to think about accessories; comfy shoes for the girls so they are easy to carry at day’s end, new pick up lines for the boys and pink stuff in the way of refreshments. I know that Crown Lager is the preferred choice amongst most men, but Sparkling wine or Champagne is a dead-set must for this time of year, and the Yarra Burn Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rosé 2004 from the Yarra Valley is as good a wine for $20 you will get right now.

Combining two of my favourite things, Sparkling wine and Rosé, the 2004 Yarra Burn has a very peachy pink colour to it with not the best bead, but a bead that hangs in there for a while. There is strawberry straight away with a bit of funk the longer in the glass. In the mouth is very simple, strawberry up front and strawberry at the end, but hey, this wine is what it is, and at this time of the year will be a definite crowd pleaser.

Drink now
Drink with strawberries and cream and a form guide
86

Diam $20 (Dan’s) 12.5% a/v

Desert Island Wines on a rainy Brunswick Saturday morning....

At about 6.40am this morning, I was abruptly pulled away from my game of beach cricket with Sanath Jayasuria and Ian Healy; I do not know why these two cricketers were there, but I do know that Jayasuria is a bad sport, and for about $150 an hour someone will be able to explain the meaning of this dream. For now though, I will have to just let this one go through to the keeper you might say.

And it is now while I sitting in the kitchen looking out the back window and listening to the hum of the heater that my mind wanders back to the game of beach cricket. Not just content with the outcome of said game, I try to imagine what refreshments were available in the blurry distance, and it is here my mind again wanders further down the beach and tries to envisage what would comprise my desert island wine cellar.

Now like all good desert island wish lists, this one has a limit. I stopped it at four wines; aperitif, white, red and dessert. But four may not do the trick with the island menu changing with the seasons, so island management have allowed two of each.

So to kick it off we have two aperitifs:

Ruinart Rosé NV, Reims Champagne. Rosé is my favourite style of Champagne. There is so much to like about this wine with its big flavour, simultaneously showing restraint and elegance. The longer in the glass this wine offers subtle roundness with a lick of spice at the end. Enjoy this with oysters freshly shucked in a chilli and ginger dressing (all produce available on the island of course).
Romate Don José Oloroso, Jerez Spain. A sherry that can be either consumed sitting on the beach waiting to be rescued or with the fish stew that is bubbling away in your Swiss Family Robinson tree house. Lovely warmth and alcohol with a gamey end and the famous Oloroso mid palate disappearing trick.

I was a bit torn with my decision here. Yes I do love Chardonnay, but surely there is something else out there in white world that is befitting my island cellar. There wasn’t, so it is two Chardonnay’s, one new world, one old world.

Domaine Ramonet Montrachet, Burgundy France. You may be wondering, ‘why not the DRC Tim?’, and this is a good question, but the DRC to me is too tight and takes far too long to open up. Yes I know there isn’t much to do on the island, but the fresh whiting that is sizzling on the hot plate needs that citrus and liquorice powder straight away.
Giaconda Chardonnay, Beechworth Victoria. Australia’s King of Chardonnay – simple. To be enjoyed with braised Rockling in the cooler months when the Celsius gets down to as low as 28!!

The reds for me were a no brainer; one Pinot Noir and one Barolo.

Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges Victoria. It was inconceivable of me not to have any Bindi in the beach cellar, and Block 5 I think is the obvious choice. This wine consistently brings finesse and perfume to the glass with longevity one of its strong suits. Drink with pheasant or duck from the north side of the island (hey, it’s my island dream OK).
Vietti Rocche Barolo, Piemontese Italy. This wine is going to take a while to open up, so it is lucky I have plenty of Block 5. An exquisite wine with achingly gorgeous violet and tar held up with intense acid and savoury appeal. Have with the wild boar hunted from the islands interior.

To complete the cellar I have chose one fortified sherry and one Botrytis.

McWilliams Botrytis Semillon, Riverina NSW. A wine that has graced this blog already. A gorgeous wine to sip in front of the fire on the beach while enjoying orange and coconut crumble.
Romate Pedro Ximenez Sacrista Sherry, Jerez Spain. If it all gets too much being on your own and you just want to have a good cry, have a sip of this belter and you will quickly realise this is far too good to share. Super stuff!!

So there you have it. It is now raining harder in my backyard and Henry is in need of a nappy change. I think it only fitting that I put ‘Weezer’ on my iPod and listen to ‘Island in the Sun’

‘on an island in the sun, we’ll be playing and having fun,
and it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain...’


Cue end credits.