SARAH WINEHOUSE

Last week Emmilou  hosted another wine dinner (http://www.emmilou.com.au/), matched to Stockman’s Ridge Wines from Orange (http://www.stockmansridge.com.au/). As people turned up we started trying the wines immediately and got some quiet time with the winemaker, Jonathan, before the place filled up. He makes wine without formal winemaking education and lab testings, and instead just uses his primal wine instincts. Stockman’s Ridge are a reasonably young/lesser known winery yet the diners really got into talking about them all night (perhaps the bountiful amount of booze flowing around also helped Food was delicious as usual, and usually I’m not a huge fan of small dishes coming out periodically that make me feel anorexic, but this dinner left me feeling well fed! Menu with Stockman’s Ridge wines matched on the night:

Seared scallops, marinated prawns, Champagne sauce and Crispy leek – accompanied with the Pinot Gris: Very fresh pinot gris with plenty of citrus and crisp pear, good texture and mouthfeel to the wine, with the finish not harsh like some around this price point. Rrp about $20/bottle.

Jamon Serrano with Fresh Figs, Walnuts and Truffle Honey – accompanied with the Rider Zinfandel 2009:  Very approachable red wine – Great for anyone actually getting into red wine. Zinfandel is a very popular variety in America but there is not much grown in Australia at present. Attractive perfumed nose with floral notes, berries and sweet rhubarb. Palate light and fruity with red berries, soft tannins and a hint of herbs and spice which adds some dimension. Rrp around $20 per bottle. Can stick it in the cellar for some more years, but it’s very drinkable now. Emmilou already serves their Zinfandel by the glass.

16-Hour Pork Belly with Apple Coleslaw – accompanied with the Rider Merlot Cabernet Franc 2009: Has no sharpness that can come from elegant, austere wines. Nose is lifted with violet, raspberry, black fruit and plums. Palate has plums enveloped in subtle, silky and chalky tannins that give a slight grip to the wine, with subtle spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, oak is well integrated and adds to smoothness of the wine through to a decent finish. Great for those who find cabernet wines a little too astringent – this is a cabernet that’s very approachable. Rrp around $20/bottle.

Seared Blue Eye Trevalla, Braised Beef Short Rib, Asparagus and ‘Bacalao’ – accompanied with the Rider Shiraz 2008: This wine’s won 5 Gold, 5 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. Aromas of warm spices, dark berries, plums and cherries with some toasty character. Palate savoury and warm, with silky tannins well integrated into the wine, and concentrated red and black fruits. Rrp $25/bottle.

Trago River Blue Cheese with Guava Paste, Quince and Date Brioche – accompanied with the Outlaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: Full Cabernet style. Herbaceous and blackberry characters on the nose. Palate juicy with plenty of acidity and dark fruits, slightly grippy tannins and overall savoury character lasting through the length.

Instead of having the winemakers/reps stand and talk (and doing so while some tipsy patrons keep talking), the winemaker was going conversing around with each table separately so we could all ask questions and share entertaining stories… Both Emmilou restaurant and Stockman’s Ridge wines presented a fun and entertaining night. If you’re looking for a good value emerging winery from Orange it may fancy you to check out Stockman’s Ridge. And in the meantime I’ll tuck into Emmilou for some more soul-nourishing grub! Look forward to next time…

Cheers!

   I tried this variety at a Wine Ark tasting (http://wine-ark.com.au/) a while ago now and was suddenly drawn into this lesser-known grape variety from Italy. It was like getting bitten by the Pinot bug… Like a whole world opened up to me that I previously hadn’t got into – absolutely delicious! This was a 2004 Bressan Schippettino – vibrant and elegant. Had it again at the new wine bar, 121 BC / Vini (http://www.vini.com.au/), in Surry Hills where they stock it – worth a try (both the wine and the bar!).

   Bressan Schioppettino 2004 – Rarely seen in Australia is this wine from Friuli in northeast Italy. A pure, mouth-watering example of the hard to cultivate Schioppettino variety from Italy. Starting with a complex bouquet of aromatic wood, musk, lots of wild mixed berries and a whiff of cigar box, these characters then follow through the palate packed with flavour – but not jammy or over the top. This is all enveloped in velvety mouth feel, medium-body and a vibrant, long finish. Age has really let time do it’s thing, letting complexity evolve and soften but still remaining powerful – Excellent drinking now and over the next few years…

Cheers!

On a recent Wine Ark tasting (http://www.wine-ark.com.au/), winemaker David Paxton presented his wines with witty humour and a great response. As they say, “You can never go wrong with McLaren Vale” – yet he goes further than just good wine, exporting to many countries overseas and already grabbing 5 stars from Halliday’s winery ratings.  For the greenies, Paxton has also become the first member of 1% For the Planet (www.onepercentfortheplanet.org). Full biodynamic principles are embraced in Paxton wines which means nutrient-rich, healthy soils for the vines to grow from.

The wines on tasting were deeply appreciated, including the Elizabeth Jean Shiraz (very old fashioned and savoury characters, only 100 cases made in her name (D. Paxton’s mother), complete elegance), Jones Block Shiraz (vibrant, fruity shiraz with mocha, licorice and dark chocolate) and the AAA Shiraz Grenache, as below:

AAA McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache, 2008 – I found the Shiraz Grenache outstanding value. Can drink now but it has way more to offer if you let it age over at least another 2 years. Nose is lifted, opulent and bright with red cherries and raspberries – but no where near a tacky fruit bomb (i.e. overly sweet). Palate has red cherries, warm christmas cake spices, very silky tannins, smooth oak and an elegant finish. Simply delicious! Great balance in a wine especially for $23 rrp, and being such a great wine this will age until 2020+. 14.5% alc.

Keep an eye out for these wines! http://www.paxtonvineyards.com/   (There’s also a little clip about them on their homepage)

Cheers.

 “You see it sitting on the dining table in front of you. It is captivating, alluring, and you have been known to worship it from time to time. It nestles into your hand as though it has been crafted for you and you alone, and as you pour it into the glass and savour its aromas, you know you are going to remember this moment. As you take your first sip of the dark, velvety liquid you find yourself transcending time and space, absorbed by what took place to bring this bottle to your table…“ Craig Summerfield 2005

This is exactly how I feel about wine – Good wine. And Summerfield from Pyrenees is no exception (http://www.summerfieldwines.com/). Awarded 5 Stars from Halliday, the red wines from Summerfield all show a lifted, opulent nose combined with deep intense characters such as plum, mocha, oak and concentrated black and red fruits.

Mark Summerfield presented his wines at the Australian Museum Wine Ark tasting with an overwhelming response. Instead of following the strict rules of winemaking with chemical and pH analysis and tests, Mark is one that never attended a winemaking course and chews his grapes non-stop to determine the exact time to pick and make his wine. His technique has resulted in excellently reviewed wines, all presenting richness, elegance and luxurious balance. If I had to choose, these three wines were my top picks:

Summerfield Tradition 2008 - Shiraz (51%) Cabernet Sauvignon (23%) Merlot (18%) Cabernet Franc (8%) – lifted blueberry and violet characters combined with deep intense characters of plum, mocha, oak and concentrated black and red fruits. On the palate, all the same characters in concentration with warm spices and soft tannins, all in a long lasting finish. Drink or cellar up to 12+ years. Great value. Rrp $27. 

Summerfield Cabernet 2008 - Vibrant but lifted nose including violet, black fruits and vanillin oak with a hint of chocolate. Palate concentrated but soft and without the harshness that many cabernets below $30 have: intense plums, red fruits and black currant with deep complexity involving vanilla, spice, well integrated tannins, and a good rounded finish. Can drink or cellar up to 15 years… Great value. Rrp $27.

Summerfield Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - Outstanding wine. Aromas of dark cherries, oak, black fruits and cocoa. Really plush palate of blackberries and mulberries with seamlessly integrated tannins and warm spices. Can drink from next year or cellar up to 15+ years. Rrp $50.

Cheers!

Recently went to Single Vineyard Sellers’ (http://www.singlevineyards.com/) tasting at the Hilton hotel, Sydney. With nearly 200 wines on tasting, there was a lot to taste with properly tasting each wine - 3 hours into the tasting I realised I wasn’t even halfway through! Many wines showed this and that, but one of the wineries I noticed was Dandelion Vineyards (www.dandelionvineyards.com.au/). I kept noticing their finesse and strength in their elegance in their Rieslings without looking at the labels. Upon getting around to the reds in tasting I also noticed their bold, powerful Shiraz, and again Dandelion Vineyards showed up on the labels…

They’re not a greatly famous winery, yet… I just read now that James Halliday has just included them in his top 10 best new wineries of 2011, in which he reviews: “Dandelion Vineyards: McLaren Vale/Barossa Valley, SA … The wines range from conventional to unconventional. In the former category, the trophy-winning 2009 Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling. Unconventional is the 2007 Lion’s Tooth of McLaren Vale Shiraz, which is co-fermented with riesling. Everyone involved in the venture has a (real) day job that allows them the luxury of making small quantities of genuinely exciting wines.”

I also tried Paddy Borthwick wines from Wairarapa NZ. Paddy Borthwick’s international winemaking years certainly show in his impressively crafted boutique wines. In particular I enjoyed their elegant style pinot noir that leans away from the popular, sometimes overly fruity style (www.borthwick.co.nz/). These were in my top picks from the tasting:

Dandelion Vineyards – Wonderland of the Eden Valley 2010 - From their oldest Riesling vineyard. Nose is attractive and unobstructive – green apple, lime and floral notes. Palate overall clean stone fruit, citrus and lime, followed by a good finish with elegant, smooth minerality and lean acidity. rrp about $29.

Dandelion Vineyards – Red Queen of the Eden Valley Shiraz 2008 - A rich wine. Full of concentrated plums, raspberries, blackberries and prominent, firm, silky tannins with savoury and dark chocolate characters. Good length. Finish a little lean, has a lot more to show more with age. Should cellar for at least 5-10 years. rrp about $63.

Paddy Borthwick – Pinot Noir 2008 - Burgundian/elegant style pinot… Lifted bouquet on the nose, full of red cherries and black fruits. Complex palate with intensity of fruit alongside tobacco, spices and very silky tannins. Vibrant characters through to the finish, which sits beautifully. rrp about $48.
Cheers!