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2002 - A great year [South Australia]

Have been a little more disciplined since my credit card account arrived, after our recent sojourn in France; but have attended a couple of freebie tastings [trade only] in the past couple weeks, both featuring mainly reds from South Australia.

Both presenters commented that 2002 was a difficult vintage, with reduced volumes, but wines of real quality.

I also detect, in quite a few wines, a slight change in direction away from the uniformly formulaic Aussie style [ripe flavours; full body lots of alcohol and a big reliance on sweet American oak] towards something a little more restrained.

Imagine, an Australian with finesse ;-)))

The first tasting was an all Penfolds affair - best wine of the night was

2002 RWT Barossa Shiraz [I hope this red wine trial lasts long enough for the price to drop a little!] - a sumptuous, refined wine.

Also presented were a couple of Cellar Reserve varietals, which are worth looking out for - the 2002 Reserve Grenache was a very "un-Rhone-like" succulent wine produced from old, low-yielding vines - not a huge Aussie block-buster, but worth trying if you can find it.

I really liked the 2003 Cellar Reserve Sangiovese, which I believe is another experimental release. Medium bodied palate, ripe in flavour, non-aggressive tannins.

The second tasting was all Victorian - and here is the good oil

[Note - profound statement follows!!!!!]

When it comes to Australian wines you will all know about Barossa and Coonawarra and maybe McLaren Vale.

Well, watch out for Heathcote, Victoria as a source of some of the biggest Australian Shiraz available. I only managed a smidgeon of Tyrells "Rufus Stone" Shiraz [everyone was talking about this wine; very well priced too] while the Hanging Rock Heathcote Shiraz 2002 probably needs another decade for the dominant oak to diminish [and I am just not waiting that long!!!]

My #1 Victorian wine was the 2002 Taltarni Pyrenees Shiraz - here is a real rarity - and Australian with true grace and style which just outshone the

200? Yering Station Reserve Shiraz/Viognier. [Greater numbers of Australian winemakers are experimenting with 10-15% Viognier to provide elegance and complexity].

I must say that I was also very impressed with the 2003 Pondalowic Special Release Tempranillo - ripe cherry flavours; nuances of dried fruit and nuts and a big dollop of ripe tannin.

Early summer now in NZ - Bar-b-ques; salads and plenty of beaching - ain't life grand!

Reply to
st.helier
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And, for those of us a bit further south, today is Toast Martinborough. Fourteen wineries taking part this year. I'll be heading straight to Ata Rangi to sample their offerings with Ruth Pretty's food and the best music!

This year, I must remember not to leave Martinborough Vinyard to last. By late afternoon it gets too crowded (and some of the 10,500 other people have been partying too hard).

--brian

Wellington, NZ

Reply to
Brian Boutel

Hope you have a fab day Brian - I really enjoyed going last year! Let me know what you think of Martinborough Vineyard and Ata Rangi's releases - esp their Pinots.

Regards

Siobhan

Reply to
Siobhan Leachman

It was a very good day. As usual, we took the train from Wellington to Featherstone and were bussed to Martinborough. Our tickets were exchanged for tasting glasses, and we headed off first to Palliser Estate, which is a little out of the way, and was missed last year because of the time.

At Palliser I went straight for the 2003 PN, which initially lived up to expectations, with sweet fruit, but then I started on a Thai beef salad with chili, lime and coriander dressing, and was temporarily unable to taste the wine :-(. Music from the Beat Girls.

Next was Te Kairanga. I chose their 2004 Chardonnay, and had a much better food/wine fit with a Moroccan Lamb Pie with minted Yoghurt. The Chard was lightish yellow, some oak, not too big and malolactic. Stayed well away from the music here. Talked to one of the original shareholders, a friend of the couple we were with.

Then Alana Estate. In past years I've enjoyed some of their older vintages - most of the vineyards only offer newer wine - but this year I was ready for time out by this stage. I did try their 2002 "Fizz".

Then Ata Rangi, by far the most pleasant location. We managed to find a vacating table in the shade of one of the big trees and grabbed it. I started with a glass of Crimson 2004. This is a young vine PN produced in support of a charity planting and protecting Rata and Pohutukawa ( brilliant red-flowered trees associated here with Christmas). I followed this with the "real" 2004 PN, and some bread and cheeses. The Crimson was the second young vine PN I've tried recently (the other from Nelson), and was far more typically PN-like, though relatively simple by comparison with the main Ata Rangi PN offering, which I remain convinced is the one to beat for NZ winemakers. I tasted the 2002 Celebre, AR's blend of Syrah, Cabsav and ??? - typically spicy and peppery, fun, but I'm not sure what food dishes it suits (and I've tried one or two). Music changed from last year, but the addition of Goldenhorse compensated for the loss of old favourites.

Finally Martinborough Vineyard. An excellent match of 2005 Manu Riesling with Manuka smoked salmon on a riesling risotto with asparagus. By this stage the wind had become strong enough to blow over anyone but an experienced Wellingtonian, and we retreated to the Square to spend leftover Francs (all festival food and wine transactions are conducted in tokens, not real cash, and these are not refundable) on some bottles to take home. I bought some Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay and Te Tera PN (their "other" PN - that's a translation from the Maori) good value at half the price of the top PN.

The the bus and train and taxi home, serenaded by happy (very happy) partygoers.

We bypassed some vineyards we might usually go to - Claddagh, Murdoch James, Margrain - to make it a more leisurely day. It was a good decision.

--brian

Brian Boutel Wellington. NZ

Reply to
Brian Boutel

Shame about the wind - despite this, sounds like a great day.

Pity it is so far from Northland.

OK - much between Ata Rangi or Martinborough Vineyards for premium PN?

Did Escarpment participate?

Reply to
st.helier

It was. I probably exaggerated the wind just a little. It really only blew in the late afternoon. Sun hats took off occasionally - I had the foresight to choose a cap rather than a wide-brim. I did find that a visit to a Portaloo reminded me of an aircraft lavatory in heavy turbulence!

I met several people who had come from Auckland. Perhaps next year we might stay in Martinborough for the weekend - there are lots of good homestay/B&B places - and that's an good option for those coming from further afield. My guess is that booking would have to be done very soon, though.

I didn't try the Martinborough Vineyards top PN this time. They had the lower yield 2003, while Ata Rangi had the 2004. Both might well wait another year or two before they are at their best. Generally, I like Ata Rangi, but I may be being influenced by all the factors which bedevil non-blind tasting. Certainly the step-up from their Crimson to the top PN was instructive.

No, not on the public day. They are some way out of town, which makes it difficult. They put on a dinner on Saturday, though.

--brian

Reply to
Brian Boutel

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