Outside The Norm

A visit to our largest vignoble last week gave SWMBO and I the chance to taste hundreds of wines. Most were current release wines, but many were unfinished current vintage numbers that were still sitting in tank or barrel. It was a welcome change at dinner to have something a little different, somewhat out of the norm from what our business day was offering.

The following were tasted over three meals, but I’ll note them in style. The Rascal and Savvy Sarah love the 2010 Te Whare Ra ‘Toru’ at their favourite Asian eatery. This Gewurz, Riesling and Pinot Gris blend hits all the spots with the food. Mildly perfumed, with acid zip, and good textural integrity, and just enough sweetness to meet a little heat and spice. Chalk one up for blending, and two bottles over the meal for us!

The Riesling Man did options on a couple of whites. Of course, we were predisposed into thinking he’d serve aromatic whites, arguably his first love. A 2009 F.X. Pichler Sauvignon Blanc Smaragd Loibner Steinertal threw us off-track away from success straight away. Spices and weight, rounded textures, almost Alsace-like, then finally the herb nuances opening up at the end. 13.0% alc. on the label. And a very petite white burgundian styled 2007 Domaine Gavenet Cotes du Jura Chardonnay ‘Grusse en Billat’. This revealed its variety slowly but surely, and its provenance, just east of Burgundy could be deduced.

It’s much easier when wines are served open. The Great Grape Grower had us around for a curry, and he served the 2009 Fevre Chablis 1er ‘Vaulorent’. Not as ‘out there’ as the 2008 tasted around this time last year, but significant extract and oaking made this a special number. It’s worth the asking price over the other premier crus.

We had a couple of Aussie Hunter Valley reds just to give something different to the Riesling Man. A 2004 Brokenwood ‘Graveyard’ Shiraz at 12.5% was your modern, elegant interpretation. Trying to be aromatic and perfumed peppery, the oak spicing was dominant, and racy acidity was the focus on the palate. Very New Worldy, and reminded me little of the Hunter Valley. However the 2003 Wyndham ‘Black Cluster’ Shiraz 2003 was a different proposition. Funky, inky, gamey, earthy, but without anything truly sulphidic or nasty as the old vintages of yore had in spades. Something very interesting here, and very Hunter, probably a caricatured stereotype of the variety and the region.

Since we had been drinking young things with the Great Grape Grower and his entourage, we brought out the oldies. A comparison of 1987 Wynns ‘Black Label’ Coonawarra Cabernet with the 1987 Wynns ‘John Riddoch’ Coonawarra Cabernet – commercial release vs the super-premium. The 1985 and 1986 John Riddoch tasted with The Chairman last month were fab. Here the Black Label was gentle, smooth, still showing blackcurrant fruit with mint, cedar and dust. A slip-down drink. The John Riddoch was hard, harsh and acidic, with pushed-to-far oak, and disjointed components. This is how some of these have gone with age. The 1993 is an example. Hamo thought it slightly corked, and I could see that too.