Tempranillo bargain buy for Christmas

My love affair with Spanish grape varieties continues….
I have stumbled across a real bargain for you! First lets understand the grape variety.
Tempranillo, a high quality red wine grape is grown all over Spain except in the hot south and is regarded as Spain’s noble grape. Its spiritual home is in Rioja where it constitutes around 70% of most red blends.
Tempranillo based wines tend to have a spicy, herbal, tobacco-like character accompanied by ripe strawberry and red cherry fruits. It produces fresh, vibrantly fruit driven flavours meant for drinking young. However tempranillo really comes into its own when oak aged, as with the top Riojas where its flavours seem to harmonise perfectly with both French and American oak, producing rich, powerful and concentrated wines which can be extraordinarily long-lived.

In Australia tempranillo is taking off. There is no doubt about that.
Some of our regions having the greatest success with it are Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Heathcote and Margaret River. VinoDiversity magazine says the area of Australian vineyards planted in tempranillo is increasing steadily. In 2000 only 41 hectares were planted of the variety bot by 2010 the area had grown to 476 hectares with over 300 producers making wine from the variety.
Tempranillo I find is like ‘pinot noir on steroids’. It has all the fragrance and perfume of pinot, plus a bit more mid-palate flesh, colour and tannin. I love its beautiful cherry and raspberry fruit and savoury finish without the alcohol kick. It’s so pretty in its youth, but develops complexity quite quickly in the bottle.
I tasted a line-up of eight tempranillos from Spain and Australia – all under $30 per bottle. All were decanted. All are available.
2013 Sonsierra Crianza, Rioja
2013 Rocland Estate Chocolate Box, Barossa
2017 Angoves Alternatus, McLaren Vale
2015 Elefante El Valiente, Castilla La Mancha, Spain
2010 Marques de Carano Reserva, Aragon, Spain
2014 Harcourt Valley Limited Edition, Bendigo
2007 Anciano Reserva, Valdepeñas, Spain
2011 Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja
This was a mixed bag probably as the Spanish wines were cheap imports and thus at the lower range of the quality style that tempranillos can exhibit. Some were shockers. The best were as follows:
2017 Angoves Alternatus, McLaren Vale $22.00 Wine Commander rating 18/20
Bright, although relatively light, crimson-purple. A lifted nose of dark cherries, raspberries and sandalwood. The palate has luscious cherry flavours, delicate spice and delicious soft tannins. Have it with Spanish styled food or rich meat dishes. Under priced.

2014 Harcourt Valley Limited Edition, Bendigo $23.00
WC 19/20
A new release from Harcourt Valley. Made from fruit sourced from the Camelback Vineyard in Heathcote. Won a gold medal at the Melbourne International Wine Challenge!  Fantastic value and should be on the table!
Summary: If you haven’t tried this grape variety before don’t stand still. Rush the Harcourt Valley wine. Absolutely a great bargain. Enjoy.

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The top Cabernet Sauvignons in Australia

The 2017 results for the second Halliday Australian Cabernet Challenge have been released. The competition was judged in conjunction with the Langton’s Margaret River Wine Show held earlier in November.
31 regions submitted cabernets and all vintages were eligible and judged anonymously by region in a blind tasting. An incredible 362 cabernets were submitted and all are currently available.
Wines achieving a Gold score of 95 points and over were selected to determine the best of region wine, then each regional winner was judged again for the Trophy.

Trophy Winner
Mandoon Estate Research Station Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Best of Region

Coonawarra – St Hugo Vetus Purum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Geographe – Smallwater Estate Rob’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Great Southern – Forest Hill Vineyard Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Hilltops – McWilliam’s Wines Reserve 660 Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Margaret River – Mandoon Estate Research Station Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
McLaren Vale – Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Orange – Tamburlaine Reserve Orange Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Wrattonbully – Pepper Tree ‘Block 21A’ Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Wines Melba Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Summary: I know many of you are skeptical of James’s scoring since his tasting panel rarely give a wine score under 90 but this selection does has Halliday’s stamp over it.
Mandoon Estate is a flash show established in 2010 and now has an art gallery, cellar door,   brewery, restaurant, function rooms, beer garden and 32 luxury rooms. Well worth a visit.
The cabernet has intense character of cassis and violets with subtle nuances of spicy, cedar oak. The flavours of blackcurrant are dense and concentrated. Ripe tannins and fine oak add great length and balance. This is a rich but complex wine with terrific intensity.
If you have a favourite cabernet region seek out the trophy winner. You will not be disappointed.

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Prestigious NZ wine award trophies announced

Marlborough Chardonnay cleans up!

The 2016 Isabel Chardonnay Marlborough has won the prestigious Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show trophy, as well as the Rabobank Champion Chardonnay trophy.
The second highest accolade of the evening, the O-I New Zealand Reserve Wine of the Show trophy, went to the 2016 Dashwood Pinot Noir Marlborough.  Foley Family Wines,   with the Dashwood pinot also won the JF Hillebrand New Zealand Champion Pinot Noir trophy.
There were more than 1300 entries at what is New Zealand’s most prestigious wine show. The domination of trophy winning wines from Marlborough was a major surprise and highlight. Hawkes Bay and Central Otago were awarded only a total of 3 trophies from the 17 gongs handed out. Central Otago pinots (such as the boutique Two Degrees pinot noir), which traditionally dominate the pinot noir category missed out on the big one.
According to the 16 person judging panel (including 3 international and also 2 MW’s) these are the currently the best in New Zealand.

Go, go and buy!

Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show
Isabel Chardonnay Marlborough 2016
O-I New Zealand Reserve Wine of the Show
Dashwood Pinot Noir Marlborough 2016
JF Hillebrand New Zealand Champion Pinot Noir
Dashwood Pinot Noir Marlborough 2016
Label and Litho Limited Champion Sauvignon Blanc
Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley Marlborough 2017
Rabobank Champion Chardonnay
Isabel Chardonnay Marlborough 2016
Dish Magazine Champion Open Red Wine
Dashwood Pinot Noir Marlborough 2016
Bayleys Real Estate Champion Merlot, Cabernet and Blends
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Organic Merlot Hawke’s Bay 2016
Fruitfed Supplies Champion Syrah
Coopers Creek Reserve Syrah Hawke’s Bay 2016
Guala Closures New Zealand Champion Pinot Gris
Saddleback Pinot Gris Central Otago 2017
New World Champion Open White Wine
Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley Marlborough 2017
New Zealand Winegrowers Champion Sweet Wine
Forrest Botrytised Riesling Marlborough 2016
Plant & Food Research Champion Riesling
Mount Riley Riesling Marlborough 2017
Quay Connect Champion Other White Styles
Nautilus Albariño Marlborough 2017
Riedel New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer
Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewürztraminer Marlborough 2016
WineWorks Champion Sparkling Wine
Aotea by the Seifried Family Méthode Traditionnelle Nelson NV
New Zealand Winegrowers Champion Exhibition White or Sparkling Wine
Isabel Wild Barrique Chardonnay Marlborough 2016
New Holland Agriculture Champion Exhibition Red Wine
Falcon Ridge Estate Syrah Nelson 2016

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Pinot Noir – 3 makers to watch for

I recently tried the following assorted pinot noirs which were from various years.  They  varied quite considerably due to age and location but may give you an idea which labels to keep an eye on. Remember, particularly from boutique wineries the quality may vary from year to year and also among other things the climatic conditions will effect the vintage
Short tasting notes are as follows:

2016 TOLLEY ELITE  PINOT NOIR,  ADELAIDE HILLS
Light in colour – a young wine with a full mouth feel but a lightweight finish
Wine Commander rating 14/20

2015 HODDLES CREEK ESTATE, YARRA VALLEY
Again light in colour. Hot red fruit cherries with just a hint of savoury overtones. Short finish.
WC rating 13.5 /20

2014 POOLES ROCK PREMIERE PINOT NOIR,  TASMANIA   
Savoury nose, with dark red brick colour,  Full bodied with black fruit and savoury characters. A long dry finish, well balanced and will improve with age
WC rating 18/20

2013 HELENS HILL RANGE VIEW RESERVE SINGLE CLONE PINOT NOIR, YARRA VALLEY
Nice savoury flavour profile but fruit overpowered by tannin. Very very dry finish.
WC rating  13.5/20

1999 MOUNT MARY VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR (MAGNUM), YARRA VALLEY
Red to brown in colour with aged nose. Surprisingly good fruit with soft tannins and a long finish. Magnificent condition for 18 year pinot but in a magnum. Breath 1 hour.
WC rating 17/20

2012 PARINGA ESTATE PINOT NOIR, MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Hot sweet fruit and bright cherry in colour .needs more time.
WC rating 15/20

 

2012 STICKS VINEYARD SELECT PINOT, YARRA VALLEY
This single vineyard wine was still closed on the nose. Somewhat tannic through the mid palate but has good length and great finish. This wine would benefit from being decanted.
WC Rating  15/20

2002 BANNOCKBURN STUART PINOT NOIR,  GEELONG
Colour ruby/brown. Was decanted before serving.
Restrained nose with not much fruit. However this wine had good flavours on the palate with a lingering finish. No need for further cellaring. Drink now!
WC rating 16/20

2011 PARADIGM HILL L’AMI SAGE PINOT NOIR, MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Red to brown in colour. hot fruit, nose and red cherry flavour. Easily pick it as a typical   Mornington  Peninsula  wine.
WC rating 14/20

2008 WEDGETAIL ESTATE RESERVE PINOT NOIR, YARRA VALLEY
Light red brick colour. Jammy hot fruit flavour with slightly sour finish.
WC rating 14/20

2013 INGRAM RD  PINOT NOIR, YARRA VALLEY
Savoury complex nose. Dark red colour. Red berry fruit palate. Short finish
WC rating 14/20

Summary:  This random tasting has not changed my view that the best reliable pinot noir regions in  Australasia remain the cool climate areas of Tasmania and Central Otago in NZ.

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Top 10 most expensive wines in the world

First of all I apologise that I do not have sample bottles to show you but read on and you will see why…
Fine wine has been one of the best performing asset classes of the last 20 years, and with some bottles fetching thousands of pounds at UK auctions, buying high-end cases could be the answer to an early retirement – providing you have the bank balance to go for it!.
Cult Wines, one of the largest UK fine wine investment companies, has identified the most expensive wines available to buy today, with some worth upwards of £15,000 per bottle.

1. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti – Romanee-Conti Grand Cru – Burgundy, France
Average price per bottle: £11,793. (A$20,312.00)
Most expensive vintage: 1990, £15,702 (A$27,594.00) per bottle
Romanee-Conti is one of two monopoles owned by the world renowned Domaine de La Romanée Conti – often abbreviated to DRC – and is widely regarded as the most sought after wine in the world.
Production levels vary from 5,000-5,500 bottles per year from the 1.8 hectare vineyard.
Wines from the DRC stable have an excellent track record for growth, and over the past 10-15 years have been the best performing wines from Burgundy. The Burgundy 150 Index is up 298% over the last 15 years and has proven to be the most consistent wine index across this period.
Domaine de la Romanee Conti is widely regarded as the most sought after wine in the world.

2. Egon Muller – Scharzhofberger Riesling – Trockenbeerenauslese – Mosel, Germany
Average price per bottle: £8,183 ($14,098.00) 
Most expensive vintage: 2003, £13,110 (A$22,588.00) per bottle
Egon Müller is a German winemaker and owner of the wine producer Weingut Egon Müller, Scharzhof, located just outside Wiltingen.
Since the 1900s the slopes of the Scharzhofberger have been well known for the quality of their wine, but it was the Müller family that affirmed the estate’s reputation for producing some of the best white wines in the world, with an unrivalled ability to produce great sweet wines in years when other estates fail.
The winery’s most prized wine is the Scharzhofberger Riesling.

3. Domaine Leroy – Musigny Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France
 Average price per bottle £5,824 (A$10,033.00).
Most expensive vintage: 2012, £10,684 (A$18,390.00).per bottle
Previously a co-owner of Domaine de la Romanee Conti (with a 50pc stake purchased by her father Henri Leroy back in 1942), Madame Leroy is a pioneer of biodynamic means of production. She parted ways with DRC in 1992 as her side business of Domaine Leroy quickly became a direct rival.
It is widely noted that Madame Leroy makes her best wines in Musigny, and the sense of exclusivity surrounding the wines makes the price palatable for those consumers wealthy enough to consider buying them. Production levels for Musigny are estimated to be as low as 600-700 bottles per year.
Vineyards with low production levels are often more exclusive and therefore more valuable

4. Domaine Leflaive – Montrachet Grand Cru – Cote de Beaune, France
Average price per bottle: £5,201 (A$10,033.00).
Most expensive vintage: 2014, £8,885 (A$15,311.00) per bottle
The late Anne Claude Leflaive, sometimes described as the Grande Dame of Burgundy, is recognised as the most famous producer in Puligny-Montrachet.
Domaine Leflaive’s holdings represent some of the most precious terroirs in the world for Chardonnay, including the legendary Grand Cru vineyard Le Montrachet itself, which, most will agree, produces the greatest white Burgundy. Production levels are – as you would expect – miniscule, given that there are only 0.0821 hectares of Le Montrachet.

5. Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier – Musigny Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France
Average price per bottle: £4,918 (A$8,474.00).
Most expensive vintage 1990, £8,674 (A$14,945.00) per bottle
In 1924, a young man named Georges Roumier married a local Chambolle-Musigny girl, and as a dowry he received a selection of Chambolle Musigny vineyards. From there, Domaine Georges Roumier was born.
Over the years the Roumier family has purchased pockets of various Grand Cru vineyards and now boasts five in total. The star of the show is Musigny; produced on a micro level with only 350-380 bottles produced per year, on average.

6. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti – Montrachet Grand Cru – Cote de Beaune, France
Average price per bottle £4,176 (A$7,194.00). 
Most expensive vintage: 1988, £6,073 (A$10,461.00) per bottle
The combination of having the most prestigious estate and arguably the greatest white wine terroir in the world makes DRC a dominate producer in the market. DRC had previously only produced red wine, until 1963 when it secured the first of three plots within Montrachet.

7. Joh. Jos. Prüm – Wehlener Sonnenuhr – Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese – Mosel, Germany
Average price per bottle £3,872 (A$6,670.00).
Most expensive vintage: 1990, £5,701 (A$9,821.00) per bottle
The Prüm family have always had a presence in Wehlen, dating back more than 400 years. Since the 1920s, the family has been regarded as one of the best Riesling producers in Germany. The estate claims 14 acres of vineyards, with more than 70pc of the vines being entirely un-grafted. Production levels are very low and vary depending on vintage, making the wine all the more valuable.

8. Fritz Haag – Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr – Riesling – Trockenbeerenauslese Goldkapsel – Mosel, Germany
Average price per bottle £3,173 (A$5,466.00).
Most expensive vintage: 1971, £3,773 (A$6,502.00) per bottle
The Fritz Haag vineyards are steeped in family history dating back hundreds of years. At the beginning of 2005, Oliver Haag took over the vineyard from his father, Wilhelm – who had taken over from his own father in 1957. Wilhelm only planned to stay for a single harvest, but it developed into a life of wine-growing until the vineyard was handed over to the next generation in 2005.
Only Riesling grapes, which are tended to throughout the year by experienced employees, are to be found in the top locations of the Fritz Haag vineyard and only in the finest years will a vintage be produced.

9.Domaine Leroy – Chambertin Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France
Average price per bottle: £3,172 (A$5,466.00).
Most expensive vintage: 1990, £5,512 (A$9,497.00) per bottle
Leroy’s Chambertin is second only to her Musigny. Her annual production is just 16 hectolitres per hectare – whereas the regional norm within Burgundy is closer to 40. Production levels for Chambertin are estimated to be between 750 and 900 bottles per year in most vintages.
With her global cache increasing year on year, it is not surprising to see Madame Leroy feature three times in the top 10 list.

10, Domaine Leroy – Richebourg Grand Cru – Cote de Nuits, France
Average price per bottle £2,838 (A$4,890.00).
Most expensive vintage: 1949, £4,382 (A$7,550.00) per bottle
Leroy currently owns two separate plots within Richebourg; one larger plot in the northern part of the vineyard on the border to Les Verroilles ou Richebourg, and another positioned between DRC and Mongeard-Mugneret.
Leroy acquired these plots early in 1988 when it bought the Charles Noellat estate. In total, Leroy owns 0.78 hectare within Richebourg

EAT YOUR HEART OUT GRANGE!

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