May 09 - Cambria – Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005, Santa Maria Valley, California
The loquacious excesses of my previous 'What we're drinking' entries have made it necessary for the girls at head office to bestow on me a blog. It remains to be seen whether the road to excess has lead to the palace of wisdom but I'll start off with a chat about the mercurial delights of Pinot Noir.About six months ago I took a wee ride down the west coast of America. Now, when I wasn't pedalling, I was trying to sample as much local wine as was wise. I ended up sampling far more local wine than was wise, but survived to tell the tales, a few of which I'll share with you now.
Pinot noir seems to be the grape of the moment. Chatting to customers in the Chester shop, it seems that people's tastes are changing away from full bodied, stain the teeth brutes, towards wines lighter in body and tannic structure, though still full of flavour.
Wine is a many splendored thing, and Pinot Noir reflects this maybe more than any other red varietal. Raspberry, Strawberry, Cherry, Pine, Figs, Game and Beetroot are just a sample of the flavours it can elicit, while always maintaining its unique identity. Classically its the grape that makes the sublime reds of Burgundy and indeed these are still the benchmark for Pinot across the world. However, I must address the nonsense that it only achieves its hauntingly beautiful potential within the Cote D'or. In fact I'm not going to mention anything Burgundian, as unless you have £20 or more to spend, they fail to deliver the magic far too often. Chile produces wonderfully ripe, juicy Pinot and is my wine of choice if I fancy a slurp in a bar or restaurant given its consistant value for money. New Zealand has wines of real concentrated fruit, especially cherry, as evidenced in the Mud House Swan Reserve and the world class Ata Rangi. Australia, to my mind still doesn't quite reach those heady heights but if the summer decides to grant us some sun, then grab a bottle of Devil's Corner Tasmanian Pinot Noir, which is crazily gluggable, almost drinking like a Beaujolais but with a bit more backbone.
Indulge me if you will in a trip down memory lane and to the Indian summer of September in British Columbia, Canada. Twas there I started cycling and there I sampled my first Pinot of the west coast. Finding myself comically toiling with my newly bought tent, in dense forest and with the sky swifty bruising, I sought sanctuary in the bottle of B.C.'s finest that I had that day purchased.
Wow, it was some struggle to tell apart the scent of the forest floor from the earthy wonder I was sipping, easily the most interesting wine I tasted all trip. Oregon and the renowned Willamette valley has been tagged the 'new Burgundy' and they have wines as lush and varied as the State itself.
Alas, like Burgundy there was some variation in quality as well as style but when they got it right, the tag was justified for all the right reasons with the forest floor again much in evidence along with a whole lot of raspberry and plum. Try our Firesteed Pinot Noir and indeed the Pinot gris, both are excellent and great value for money.
As exhilerating as the Oregon coast was, my heart lay south of San Francisco with the sensual wines of cool fog-affected California. There lay the wines of the Russian River and Caneros. Exotically scented with wonderfully realised fruit. They are the femme fatales of the wine world. Sexy, stylish and beguiling, they always leave you wanting more! I must commend Ruth on the range of Californian Pinot Noir, every ones a winner! The Laetitia Pinot is surprisingly rich but is a real smooth ride with generous amounts of fruit. The La Crema from Sonoma has more subtlety and compexity with a touch leather joining the cherry. If you're feeling indulgent the Marimar Estate from the Torres family comes with a gaurantee of class and sophistication. However for my wine of the month I've travelled to the southern tip of California's Pinot Noir country, to the Santa Maria valley.
Here lies the Cambria winery and its almost perfect terroir for Pinot Noir. Named after the owner Barbara Banke's daughter, 'Julias Vineyard' sees silky tannins marry with dense velvety fruit flavours of cherry, strawberry and blueberry. This seductively aromatic and finely rounded wine really showcases the wonder that is Californian Pinot Noir. If you’re not as yet convinced take a moment to read this heartfelt eulogy from ‘Sideways’, the 2004 film set in the heart of the Californian wine country -
“It's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right?…… it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early…… it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And…. only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavours, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and...... ancient on the planet.” Miles Raymond. Sideways.
Till next month, adieu.
Tom
June 09 - A taste of the tastings...
With my first blog being a vainglorious, vinified trip down memory lane, I decided to rein in the self-indulgence just a tad and dream up a theme more relevant to the world of Corks Out. So for the foreseeable future I’ll report back on the in store tastings we hold each month, starting with an evening spent in the company of some truly special Italian wines.Twas Thursday 14th May and I found myself in an uncommonly agitated state of mind. I had the previous day agreed to entertain some local journalists on a tour of the city’s finest food and drink establishments, organised by the Chester and Cheshire tourism awards.
I looked at the clock, it was 5.30pm, the tasting started at 6pm and they were nowhere to be seen. Nonchalantly preparing the shop, Kirk was giving me a look somewhere between, “Well you agreed to it” and “What the hell has happened to my chilled out Assistant Manager?” The party arrived shortly afterwards and managing to muster some charm, I introduced them to the delights of local brew Eastgate ale and bid them farewell in buoyant mood as the first guests strolled through the door. Panic over; and as I’ll promptly do now, I turned my attentions to that night’s wine.
In fair Verona, was where that night we were to lay our scene, and to tell the tale was Bruce of Liberty Wines.
I’d heard it said that he was quite a character, and he didn’t disappoint, giving the most entertaining and interesting talk I’ve heard in a long time. Not lacking a firmly held opinion or two either. If you still have the notion that corks are superior to screwcaps, I’d advise against broaching the subject with the fellow. Indeed, so convincing was his argument that Kirk noted that a change of name from ‘Corks Out’ to ‘Caps Off’ might one day be necessary! Anyway the wines, Tom, the wines….
As my tenuous paraphrasing of the Bard alluded to earlier, all the night’s offerings were from the wine regions around Verona and we started with two refreshing examples from Soave. I’m sure that many of you have at some time been handed a glass of Soave and after failing to find any flavour in the watery, insipid liquid, have vowed never to waste your palate on the stuff again. I myself raised an eyebrow when Bruce suggested the pair and I noted similar expressions around the room as the party perused the order of play.
One of the joys of going to wine tastings is sampling wines you wouldn’t normally pick of the shelf, especially if it leads to the revision of a previously maligned reputation. I can assure you that after these two wines any ra ising of eyebrows were strictly in admiration.
The first Soave was from Alpha Zeta who have drafted in renowned Kiwi winemaker Matt Thomson to ensure some class in their entry-level wines. Well, it's mission complete Matt, as the stunningly big fragrant nose and surprisingly rich palate make for a superb summer aperitif. Also, at £5.55, it’s got to be one of the best value for mon ey wines around.
Next up was Pieropans’ Soave Classico. I’d been told prior to evening that it was something of an iconic wine for the region with quite a cult following. The adoration is just and I now gladly list myself as a convert to the way of Pieropan! Its delicate charm belies a complex palate where pears swim in honey and the minerality doesn’t get in the way of its nutty quality. “Almost Burgundian”, I heard Graham, the soon to be manager of our new Heswall store exclaim. Heady praise indeed, yet true Soave like this is worthy of it.
So to the reds, and as Juliet was gazing from her balcony wondering where her fella was, she was surveying Valpolicella country. The four wines we were to taste from the region were all from the Allegrini family, producers of consistent quality and much renown.
Using the classic regional grapes of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara their basic Valpolicella is a perfect summer red. Its all about the cherries and with not too much alcohol its easy going but full of life. Ideal with white meats or even with fish.
The next wine provided a real change of pace and is a real gem. La Grola is the most prised of all Allegrini’s vineyards and the wine bearing its name is strictly single-estate. The cepage is innovative, using Corvina and Rondinella but dispensing with the limited charm s of Molinara in favour of Sangiovese and Syrah. Although only used sparingly (about 5% each, as I recall) they make their presence felt, giving the wine a real intensity. Being Allegrini, its still a smooth operator, with rich, dense fruit making this a classy alternative to Shiraz. It’s affordable too; take it to your next dinner party and bask in the reflected glory of the family’s craft.
Allegrini’s artistry was truly to the fore with the next wine on the billing – their world renowned Amarone. Regularly heralded as one the wines one must try before the pearly gates slide into view, Kirk and myself had been looking forward to a slurp for some time. It did not disappoint! Ok, I’ve never tried a Chateau Margaux or Petrus, but up till now, this is the best wine I’ve ever tasted in my life. Elegant and velvety but still with rich cherry flavours, both sweet and sour. It is a wine you could explore for hours.
Amarone is made using the technique of Appassimento, where after being harvested, the grapes are left to dry for 3 to 4 months before being pressed. The process is ancient and flicking through Hugh Johnson’s ‘World of Wine’, I see is rumoured to have found its way to Verona from Greece via Venice.
Rounding of the night in sheer opulence was the Giovanni Allegrini Amarone Recioto. The favourite of the iconic winemaker, it uses Appassimento, but here the fermentation process is halted before all the grape sugar can turn to alcohol producing a sublime sweet wine. Port-like in feel and with wonderfully defined, concentrated fruit, it’s rich and silky but never cloying.
Amarone is Valpolicella’s unique offering to the world, but sneaking a peak at Graham’s notes, gave me pause for thought that it is maybe born of a higher plain. He’d concluded his lengthy verse, as I will mine: God-like.
July 09 - One mans Regional Hero is another’s Terroir-ist – Part 1
As some of you are no doubt aware, during the months of March and April, we here at Corks Out ran an Australian ‘Regional Heroes’ promotion. The brainchild of Wine Australia, the promotion forwarded an idea of wines defined by a distinct sense of place, where the climate, soil and topography of the land aid the winemaker to produce a truly unique expression of the chosen grape. Sound familiar? Yup, it’s the Australian wine industry declaring a true sense of terroir, and as I’ve recently found out, quite rightly so. You see, Corks Out performed rather well during said promotion and as a reward Wine Australia sent one of the family on an all expenses trip round some of their most renowned wine growing regions. Just so happens that person was I! Hate me yet?So for my next two blogs I’ll report back on a trip where I truly tasted some of finest wines known to humanity and developed a profound respect for the sophistication and passion within Australian winemaking. This month, I’ll share some recollections of McClaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
A 22-hour flight via Singapore and Melbourne found me in the rather plush Hyatt Regency, Adelaide and by the evening, the gang with which I was to spend the next 10 days had assembled in the hotel bar. 11 different Wine Merchants, restaurants and bars from the UK, Ireland and Canada had been selected for the trip and we were pleasingly eclectic mix of age, character and nationality. Other than the aforementioned countries - Poland, Germany, France and Sardinia were also represented, and judging from how well we all got on, an appreciation of fine wine goes a long way to fostering international bonhomie! That night we had welcome feast hosted by the indomitable Paul Henry and the charming Lucy Anderson and Stacey Hill of Wine Australia. These guys had organised the whole deal and I am forever indebted to them for the experience. The exquisite Kingfish served that night was the first of many gastronomic delights we would encounter during the trip.
On the flight over, one of our number had let it be known that he had in the past been a sommelier to Margaret Thatcher and considered her ‘a lovely women’. “We’ll get along famously” I replied “my name's Scargill!” The chap in question turned out to be Roger Jones of the Michelin starred ‘The Harrow’. Clearly accustomed to the good life and with more than a hint of the hellraiser about him, Roger marched us back to the hotel bar and ordered bottle after bottle of Champagne in the name of group bonding. Confirming myself as a terrible Champagne Socialist, I mused as to whether Billecart Salmon could have remedied all that unrest back in 84’?
Any foggy heads due to jet-lag and the previous evening’s champers were soon cleared as early the next morning we were driven round the sub regions of the beautiful region that is McClaren Vale. An idyllic coastal location for winemaking where the Mediterranean climate and cool maritime breezes combine with varied soil types to produce blockbuster Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon of much renown. The drive quickly brought into focus just how special a trip this was to be. Much like an Elvis fan on pilgrimage to Graceland, the opportunity to relate the wine on the shelf to the actual terroir made for a far more profound connection with the wine we were to spend the rest of the day sampling. The tour ended at the wonderfully rustic Petaringa winery where we had a chat about sustainability and the hot topic of Bio-dynamics. The approach in the Vale is refreshingly practical with no reliance on moonbeams and really is born of the very real problems of water shortage in Australia. Widely embraced across the Vale, the idea is basically to encourage the vines to be more self-sufficient in preparation for the potentially tricky vintages.
Since my return, it’s been understandably tough to convince friends that whilst I did spend 10 days drinking fine wine and eating sublime cuisine, a lot of the time it was hardly a relaxing pursuit and closely resembled work! The rest of the day in the Vale would make us all acutely aware of our intense schedule and handed many of us a lesson in wine tasting on such a scale.
The first tasting of the trip was to be at the Wirra Wirra winery and consisted of 17 examples of McClaren Vale Shiraz. It was here that I heard the first ‘J’accuse Robert Parker’ of the trip. Now Mr. Parker has done a hell of a lot for the Australian wine industry but favours teeth staining big brutish Shiraz leading to generalizations in some quarters that this represents the Ozzie approach as a whole. Time and again during the trip we heard “now we don’t make that Bob Parker style of Shiraz, nope, you’ll probably find that in… (Insert rival winegrowing region)”. Later in the week we visited the Barossa valley and there we found many examples of massive wines that retained a sublime finesse. For my palate this was not my experience of the Vale but frankly who cares? If you want a Shiraz with deep, rich, intensely concentrated fruit with loads of pepper and spice, shop in McClaren Vale. For me this was epitomized by the brilliant Kay Brothers wine and Colin Kay, a descendent of one the oldest families in the area, gave us an engaging talk on the importance of the precious old knarled Shiraz vines used in many of the wines. I’ll return to this subject, when I reach the Barossa but for now I’ll confess that I’m a wuss and that apart from the wines from the Blewitt Springs sub-region, where the sandy soil and higher altitude makes for a more elegant wine, the style was too much.
Next month I'll continue with the wines that are far more up my street - the velvety delights of Grenache.
August 09 - One man's Regional Hero is another’s Terroir-ist – Part 2
The Grenache on show at the Chapel Hill winery was the best tasted all trip. During the promotion it was Ozzie Grenache that struck the sweetest chord with both myself and customers of our Chester store.Here the intense style of the region emboldened the satin smooth textures lending spice to the cherry and an understated power to this eminently approachable varietal. Earlier that day I had rather too eagerly put myself forward to do a short talk on the place of Grenache in the British market. All too soon I was told it was showtime and with great gusto I started telling at least 20 different winemakers from the area of my love of Aussie Grenache and my success in selling it, only to forget pretty much every point I’d prepared after about a minute of starting!
Michael Fragos of Chapel Hill saved my blushes with some well timed questions and prompts and even kindly lied on what a great job I’d done. Anyhow I wasn’t too impressed with myself and this brings me back to the aforementioned lessons learnt. During a normal in store tasting around 6 wines will be sampled, so should you be particularly enamored with a couple, taking a slurp isn’t an issue. I was clearly not the only one who had never before tasted wine on this scale and on leaving Wirra Wirra I’d heard comments such as “there was no way I was spitting out that one…it was just too good!” After 17 Shiraz and 13 Grenache samples, plus wine at lunch, this approach had left many of us slightly toasted. With the assembled winemakers were popping questions at us from all directions, and though the format was casual and friendly, it was getting a tad stressful.
On the journey to the next tasting, it looked like we could all do with a siesta, not the 13 Cabernet Sauvignons that awaited us!
Spirits were immediately stiffened however, by the location of the next tasting. The Star of Greece restaurant resides high on a cliff looking down on what many consider to be the most attractive beach in Southern Australia. Much like the Shiraz, these Cabs were real blockbusters. Young too, meaning that some had so much tannin to chew through it was hard to decipher quite how they’d taste after the desired ageing. Many didn’t though and the wines of D’Arenberg, Kay Brothers, Gemtree and Mitolo impressed throughout the afternoon. The Mitolo range is available in Corks Out and they are cracking examples of the region, possessing all the deep, rich, intense fruit and also the balance necessary for wines of such epic proportions.
There had been sumptuous food at Chapel Hill but our benevolent hosts reserved their coup de grace till now. After the wines, they presented a masseur to banish those jet lag blues. Relaxing into my massage I watched the sun go down over the ocean horizon until my meditation was disturbed by Bruno, the larger than life Polish bartender’s insistence that a buoy was actually a whale. Twas then I noted a change of vibe within the group. The winemakers who had been following us around all day had quite rightly been enjoying a soupcon or five of their own produce and let’s just say they observed the ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic immaculately. Indeed dusk seemed to have ushered in something of a party mood.
Onwards to the Coriole winery where Mark Lloyd gave us a fascinating chat on the evolution of viticulture in the area and the continued experimentation with alternative varieties such as Tempranillo and Sangiovese. With spirits high but weary, any formal structure to the tasting was thankfully discarded and we passed round the wines, chatted garrulously to the winemakers and eat Kangaroo pizza. My personal favourite was Carioles’ own Fiano, which was wistfully floral with a crisp acidity and pear flavours on the palate. Though my focus on the wines was by now compromised it was at Coriole that my abiding memory of McClaren Vale lies. Here I have to mention Justin MacNamee (Sideshow Bob!) of Samuel’s Gorge and Mike Brown of Gemtree. Though both wildly entertaining, it was their passion and conviction towards their craft that was, and still is, truly inspiring. It became very apparent that all these guys were a real gang, in essence farmers struggling to get the very best from their crop in this harsh environmental and financial climate.
Though I’d thought it before, it really hit home just how much independent winemakers give to produce these wonderful expressions of their part of the world. I immediately felt a responsibility to relate this to you the consumer. With regard to Southern Australia, I’ll hopefully achieve this over the next few months with this blog. Of course promoting excellence and individuality is what Corks Out is all about. A cursory glance at the shelves will confirm this and the monthly in store tastings are a great opportunity for you guys to experience this without breaking the bank.
Back in Coriole, and though the hour was only somewhere around nine, I looked around the room and found my compatriots to be as I – defeated. It had been the day that I’d tasted Grenache of unrivalled opulence and experienced a kinship between workers that the Iron Lady herself could not have crushed. But it was also the toughest day of the trip where the schedule was too much and we learnt never to risk imbibing the good stuff on a tasting of such magnitude. However it stood me in good stead for the rest of the trip. We wouldn’t taste 56 wines in a day again and my commitment to ‘non-imbibing’ definitely developed my palate and appreciation of the wines to come.
So to the power, the glory, and the beauty of the McClaren Vale – you guys are crazy – don’t go changing!!
Next month the Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley.
Oct 09 - One Man’s Regional Hero is another’s Terroir-ist 4 – Clare Valley.
I had been looking forward to the third day of my Australian wine adventure from first I glanced the itinerary. Today we would travel to the real big country, north of the Adelaide Hills to Clare Valley before spending our first night within the ample bosom of the Barossa Valley. Furthermore, as I was reminded over another sumptuous Adelaide Hilton breakfast, we were that day to meet not one but two Ozzie wine legends.Legend no.1 was Jeffrey Grosset, who makes arguably the finest Riesling in Australia and to who’s winery in the Clare Valley we headed first. The journey was a good hour and a half, which I spent sifting through my i-pod trying to find music to compliment the widescreen panorama that demanded our attention. I think Dan Auerbach’s ‘Keep It Hid’ won out, rough and ready but rich with heart and hard won wisdom!
The Grosset winery, like the man himself, was quite reserved and after a brief tour, we were ushered into his tasting room where we were met by Jeffrey and his wife Stephanie Toole, who runs the renowned Mount Horrocks winery.
The talk that followed was to my mind, the most fascinating of the trip. Over the next hour, Jeffrey presented the Clare Valley as a region where ‘terroir’ truly defines the character of it’s wines. To recap, the central theme of the trip was to showcase some of Australia’s best terroir driven wines, where the climate, soil and topography of the land really defined the expression of the grape. In essence – wines with a true sense of place. Jeffrey’s profound understanding of the terroir before him was complete and represented a wonderful marriage of science and art.
Before I get to the wines we tasted that I’ll give a brief overview of the Valley itself. Known within South Australia as the ‘Garden of the North’, it lives up to its billing and is actually a series of wildly beautiful valleys that meander north to south. The climate by day is hardly cool but so flat is the land south that it still enjoys a stiff afternoon breeze courtesy of the ocean. The altitude also dictates some real cold nights and helps explain it’s aptitude for grapes such as Riesling, which has been grown in the area for over 150 years. The terroir is complex with over 2 degrees centigrade variation across relatively small areas and a beguiling mix of soil types. The two flagship sub-regions are Watervale, with its red Terra Rossa over limestone make up, and Polish Hill, where the soil is slate. These variations may not sound like much but they are the difference between a winery producing the region’s juicy, mineral rich Riesling, or their powerful yet refined Shiraz.
Anyway to the wines and I’ll start with the best Riesling tasted all trip, which just happened to be made by one Jeffrey Grosset! For an enthusiastic yet undeveloped palate such as mine the Grosset Polish Hill was an education. Though the wine we tasted was young, (and this is wine demands the respect of being kept for at least a decade) this was a drop of austere majesty, pregnant with unbridled promise. Though still a tad tight, the nose was surprisingly complex and the palate long, deep and vibrant. Mineral flavours dominated and were met with a racy yet soft acidity and some subtle dashes of lime. His Watervale Riesling was more suited to drinking young and from its pretty nose to its succulent limey palate was more intense than its brilliant yet coy cousin.
Nov 09 - One Mans Regional Hero is another’s Terroir-ist 5 –
Barossa Valley Part 1 or Jacob’s Creek and the elegant punch.So to the Barossa Valley and the hub of the Australian wine industry. As we rolled up to the plush Novatel Barossa Valley resort, the rustic charm of the Skillogalee winery in Clare Valley seemed like a world away. Over the next two days we would meet some of the biggest names in the business, starting with dinner that evening courtesy of Jacob’s Creek.
I confess that previously I had assumed that Jacob’s Creek was an invention dreamed up by some ‘suit’ to lend their mass produced wines some quaint provenance. Indeed as we emerged from our 'rooms with one hell of a view' and gazed across said creek at Jacob’s grand HQ, withering cynicism tripped of every tongue. We were here to drink the wines of regional heroes, not ‘The Man’!
In fact it was not Jacob’s HQ, but Johann’s. Johann Gramp’s to be precise, who in 1847 planted vine cuttings and established the first commercial vineyard in the Barossa. The story was told by the jolly James Keane of Jacob’s Creek’s parent company Orlando Wines on the way to a pre-dinner tasting of their top-end wines. The following tasting, hosted by head winemaker Philip Laffer, was arguably the most fascinating of the trip, as our prejudices were artfully dismantled by the sheer quality of the wines before us. Given his stature within the Australian wine industry (Australian Winemaker of the year 2002); Philip was a humble man with a thoroughly honest, modern yet passionate approach to his craft. Acutely aware of the problems of trying to sell £30-40 wine bearing the name Jacob’s Creek, he was clearly glad of the opportunity to let his wines woo another dubious bunch from the ‘trade’.
His Reeves Point Chardonnay was without doubt one the best tasted all trip. During his time at the helm the use of oak had been somewhat curtailed and the closure changed to screwcap. Both positive steps in my book, and the result was a Chardonnay of lush yet zesty fruit complimenting the classic toasty and buttery flavours of Burgundy. The other highlight was the Johann Shiraz Cabernet. Rich, complex yet generous it was chosen by some of the group as their favourite tipple of the trip. It was certainly no surprise to see the 2001 vintage win the Decanter magazine award for Best International Red Blend over £10.
With appetites ravenous, we were lead to the dining room where we were met by the biggest platter of oysters I have ever seen and presented with a glass of Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling. What follows is a South Australian taste sensation! Take one of their monstrously large oysters and administer a squeeze of lime, throw it down the hatch and wash down with Eden Valley Riesling. Simply sublime!
The quality of the cuisine didn’t dip for any of the countless other courses with Executive Chef Veronica Zahra proving she was true master of the ‘fruit de la mer’.
Having enjoyed a feast of Floydian proportions we slept soundly and rose for our next date with ‘The Man’ at the Barossa Valley Estate winery owned by global drinks industry giants Constellation. Eeek! There was none of the grandeur of Jacob’s Creek HQ here. The Barossa Valley Estate winery is a lean, mean winemaking machine. Yet as wearily traipsed of the coach we were met by THE character of the trip.
Stewie Bourne is proper Ozzie bloke. Wild-eyed with an unbridled lust for the vine and the wilder side of life. After a couple of minutes in his company, we cared not a jot that he worked for ‘The Man’ (though it should be noted that half of BE is owned by a co-operative of Barossa growers), or for the fact it was ten in the morning and we were about to taste some big-ass Shiraz.
Much like Philip Laffer, Stewie had reined in the use of new oak yet sacrificed none of the powerful flavours synonymous with the Barossa. Available through Corks Out at £16.89, his Ebenezer Shiraz was thoroughly consistent with his philosophy, with black cherry and mocha on the nose and bags of silky fruit and spice on the palate. It was an impressive start but next up was the wine that I rated as joint first at the end of trip review.
Barossa Valley Estate’s E&E Black Pepper Shiraz is a true colossus of a slurp. Tidal waves of character and flavour engulf the palate before slowly dissipating to the smoothest of finishes. The taste buds really don’t know what’s hit them; it’s like the most elegant punch.
Stewie wound up the tasting by boldly predicting Australian glory in the forthcoming Ashes series (you can’t get everything right Stewie!) and indulging us in his E&E Black Pepper Sparkling. I’ve never been enamoured with sparkling reds before but this stuff was fantastic! A heady mix of black fruit intensity and fine acidity, it’s a superior party wine and apparently perfect on Boxing Day with the cold cuts of the previous day’s turkey.
We spent more money in the cellar door shop here than at any other winery. I plumped for the straight Shiraz to be enjoyed at a much later date, but many went for the more immediate charms of the sparkling. On seeing this, Stewie began to chuckle and in his own inimitable style left us with some of his homespun wisdom. “Remember, one bottles a party, two’s a Porno. So don’t do it…. or if you do – send me the photos!”
Next Month – Barossa Valley part 2 - St. Hallett ‘heels’ my woes.
Last updated: November 12, 2009