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Tag Archives: Red Blends

Tasting No. 66- June 10, 2019 – Hidden Regions/Varieties

11 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by Alfonso Sanchez in Tasting Meetings

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Tags

Cabernet Sauvignon, malbec, Merlot, Red Blends, Tempranillo

 

 Capri Ristorante – McLean, VA

TASTING OVERVIEW 

This blind presentation includes four red wines made of four well known varieties or blends of them from four regions where these wines are typical.  The objective of the tasting is to find out the region of origin and the varieties of which the wines are made of as well as ranking of preference by the participants.

TYPE :  Blind

  1. 2015 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Coleccion Privada, Tempranillo
  2. 2015 Adams Bench Reckoning, Red, Columbia Valley
  3. 2015 Chateau la Pointe, Pomerol
  4. 2005 Poesía, Red, Mendoza 

THE MENU

  1. Gnocci “Au-Gratin”
  2. Chicken Marsala
  3. Vitello Alla Parmigiana
  4. Dessert and/or coffee

PRESENTERS: Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Ricardo Santiago

PARTICIPANTS: Mario Aguilar, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Orlando Mason, Italo Mikow,, Ricardo Santiago, Alfonso Sanchez, Jairo Sanchez

INFORMATION ON THE WINES

(All information obtained and condensed from several Internet articles.)

2015 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Coleccion Privada 

The Wine: Vinous-Rioja, Spain – “High-pitched red/blue fruit, floral pastille, spicecake, coconut & allspice aromas, along with a smoky mineral quality that emerges with aeration… Shows excellent clarity & repeating florality on a very long, spicy finish that’s given shape by supple, even tannins.”

The Winery: (From: Jorge Ordoñez Selections) Bodegas Sierra Cantabria was founded by Guillermo Eguren, a self-made bodeguero, who was, in the family tradition, a viticulturist. His family, native to San Vicente de La Sonsierra, one of the most sought after terroirs in Rioja, had grown grapes in Rioja Alavesa since the 1870’s. For decades the family sold their grapes to local producers, but Guillermo recognized the potential that his family’s vineyards had to create great wine, and founded Bodegas Sierra Cantabria in 1957. Today, the fourth generation of the Eguren family directs all aspects of the winemaking process, with Marcos Eguren as the winemaker and director of operations and his brother Miguel Angel Eguren as the general manager. The family still prides themselves as viticulturists first, and as a result, all of the grapes are estate grown, and they do not source fruit from any third party source. As viticulturists in Rioja Alavesa, they grow a vast majority of Tempranillo, with only a small percentage of Garnacha and Graciano, as they recognize that Garnacha and Graciano do not ripen reliably in northern Rioja, and they do not want to source their Garnacha and Graciano from Rioja Baja.

Bodegas Sierra Cantabria is the family’s original winery, and comprises a collection of their most classic style Rioja wines. Due to their viticultural background, the family’s wines are composed of mostly Tempranillo, as they recognize that Garnacha and Graciano do not ripen reliably in Northern Rioja.

Although the family’s business has evolved over the years through the foundation of other projects, Bodegas Sierra Cantabria comprises their most traditional, classic styled wines. The wines are made from a blend of selected vineyards, as opposed to Viñedos Sierra Cantabria, which is the family’s collection of single vineyard wines.

2015 Adams Bench Reckoning, Red, Columbia Valley

The Wine: (From: Advinetures) This is a Bordeaux type blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot takes its name from the bench outside the principal’s office where students would wait to face their reckoning. Very suave, this shows its red and black fruits profile in a medium+ body. Black cherry, plum and blackberry are supported by hints of baking spice. The terrific balance gives it a smooth mouthfeel. Ripe tannins create definition but do not distract. Polished and refined.

The Winery: Tim Blue and Erica Blue’s Adams Bench debuted in 2005 with their first vintage. Tim, an attorney, and Erica, a physician, had found the perfect spot for this labor of love in a beautiful property above the Hollywood Hill winery area in Woodinville. Tim and Erica’s wines have a stellar reputation, and have been praised by Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, and more, with their wines very often earning ratings well above 90 points. Their fruit is hand picked, whole berry fermented, and bottled without filtration, and they feel treating the young wine with respect shows through when the wines are released.

2015 Chateau la Pointe, Pomerol 

The Wine: RP :The 2015 La Pointe is a blend of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc, picked between 27 September for the younger vines for the second wines, and 1 October for the heart of the Merlot, the Cabernet picked 8 and 12 October. Eric Monnoret told me that the 2015 was matured in 50% new oak. It has a comparatively flamboyant bouquet compared to recent vintages of La Pointe, with opulent red berry fruit, kirsch, cassis and patina of tar. The palate is medium-bodied, firm in the mouth at the moment, quite structured, the oak nicely integrated with a slightly savory finish. This is a robust La Pointe, quite spicy in the mouth with a long aftertaste. It will gain more harmony during its élevage.

The Winery: (From Wine-Seracher) Château La Pointe is one of the largest wine estates in Pomerol, making a Merlot-dominant wine. It dates back to 1845, and has been controlled by the d’Arfeuille family since 1941.The La Pointe estate consists of 23 hectares (57 acres) of vineyards planted mostly to Merlot with some Cabernet Francon a mix of gravel, clay-gravel and sandy soils. These sit on a terrace below the main Pomerol plateau, near châteaux Neninand Trotanoy. The estate also boasts 2ha (5 acres) of formal gardens, and in 1868 was one of the first two estates in the appellation to be allowed to call itself a château. The name La Pointe comes from a sharply angled triangular plot near the entrance to the property.

The vineyard is managed plot-by-plot, and individual parcels of fruit are vinified in small vats. Wines are aged in oak barrels, 50 percent of which are new.Since 2006, Château La Pointe has been owned by the Generali France insurance company. Since then, there have been several key improvements to both viticulture and winemaking. These have included removing Cabernet Sauvignon vines, improving vineyard drainage and lowering the yield of Cabernet Franc, as well as renovating the winery’s vat room.

2005 Poesía, Red, Mendoza 

The Wine: (RP): “The winery’s flagship is called Poesia and is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It too is sourced from an 80 year old vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo. The 2005 Poesia was barrel-fermented and aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it has a high-class aromatic array of pain grille, violets, spice box, black cherry, and blueberry. Smooth-textured, ripe, and sweetly-fruited, this elegant wine is beautifully balanced, nicely concealing enough structure to permit 5-7 years of evolution.”

The Winery: (From WS) Poesia, which means poetry in Spanish, is the latest project of Hélène Garcin-Lévêque, 30, and her husband, winemaker Patrice Lévêque, 36. Garcin and Lévêque are no strangers to wine. Garcin manages several small Bordeaux châteaus owned by her mother, Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard, including Clos L’Église in Pomerol and Barde-Haut in St.-Emilion, while Lévêque makes the wines.

The Bordeaux connection to Argentina is already strong, with several joint ventures — such as Bodegas Caro (between Domaines Baron de Rothschild-Lafite and Catena Zapata) and Cheval des Andes (Château Cheval-Blanc and Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes) — producing wines that try to marry the two region’s styles. But Garcin is looking for something different through Poesia.

“We want to have an original Argentinean wine, and not a copy of a blend that is already done in another country,” Garcin said.

Garcin first came to Argentina in 1998 as part of a group of investors in Bodega Monteviejo, a project led by Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland and located in the Vista Flores area in the Uco Valley. But with progress there sluggish, Garcin changed her plan. She sold some of her parcels to other members of the group and moved up north to the historical heart of Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo. There she purchased a 32-acre vineyard notable for the Malbec that had been planted in 1935.

The vineyard, which also contains Cabernet Sauvignon, is being farmed organically by Garcin and her vineyard manager Marcelo Casazza. Poesia will not use any purchased grapes, and production will be small: Only 1,300 cases were made in 2001 and 2002, and just more than 1,500 cases in 2003. The wine will retail for around $40.

Though Garcin wants to make a uniquely Argentinean wine, she is blending Malbec — the country’s premier grape — with Cabernet Sauvignon, the leading player in Bordeaux. “Cabernet has better body and tannin structure,” she said. “So it gives more complexity to the blend.”

The wine receives 18 months in 100 percent new French oak, but the barrel staves have only a medium to light toast and the barrel heads are not toasted. This light-handed approach to the élevage allows the wine’s purity to shine through. Samples of the 2002 and 2003 tasted with Garcin showed lush raspberry confiture notes supported by racy tannins.

 VINOTABLES RATINGS FOR THIS TASTING:

 

  • 2015 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Coleccion Privada, Tempranillo – CV Rating:  Very Good to Excellent
  • 2015 Adams Bench Reckoning, Red, Columbia Valley – CV Rating:  Very Good
  • 2015 Chateau la Pointe, Pomerol – CV Rating:  Excellent
  • 2005 Poesía, Red, Mendoza – CV Rating:  Excellent

View full evaluation here: Summary of Tasting Scores 66

Best Rated: 2005 Poesía, Red, Mendoza

Best Buy: 2015 Chateau la Pointe, Pomerol 

Tasting No. 65 – April 8, 2019 – California New Wave Wines

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by Alfonso Sanchez in Tasting Meetings

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Tags

Califormia, Marsanne, Red Blends, Syrah

 

 Capri Ristorante – McLean, VA

TASTING OVERVIEW 

Peter and Mario had been planning to present wines from California New Wave, as recently commented on by Jancis Robinson and others. Unfortunately, none of the experts in our customary wine stores knew anything about this wave, let along had any of the pertinent wines in stock. Hence, they searched for high-end relatively unknown American wines produced form rare grape blends, or in small batches. They found some specially interesting wines usually in short supply.

TYPE :  Blind

  1. 2017 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Marsanne, Adelaida District, Paso Robles
  2. 2012 Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah. North Coast, Sonoma County
  3. 2013 Donkey and Goat Five Thirteen, El Dorado, Sierra Foothills
  4. 2013 Villa Creek Damas Noir. Mourvedre, Paso Robles

THE MENU

  1. Lobster bisque with shrimp
  2. Manicotti  in rich tomato bolognese sauce
  3. Lamb stew (carrots, potatoes, onions) with rice
  4. Grilled steak with veggies and mushroom sauce
  5. Dessert and/or coffee

PRESENTERS: Mario Aguilar, Peter Scherer

PARTICIPANTS:  Mario Aguilar, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Orlando Mason, Italo Mirkow, Orlando Reos, Jorge Requena, Alfonso Sanchez, Jairo Sanchez, Peter Scherer

INFORMATION ON THE WINES

(All information obtained and condensed from several Internet articles.)

2017 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Marsanne, Adelaida District, Paso Robles 

The Wine: The 2017 Tablas Creek Vineyard Marsanne is Tablas Creek’s fifth varietal bottling of Marsanne, the noble white grape of France’s Hermitage appellation. We use most of our Marsanne in our Côtes de Tablas Blanc each year. However, in 2017 we felt that the Marsanne was so complete and compelling, and so representative of the Marsanne grape, that we selected out two lots for a single-varietal bottling.

(RP) “The 2017 Marsanne reveals aromas of lemon oil, beeswax and fresh peach, followed by a full-bodied, textural and multidimensional palate balanced by gentle acids and concluding with a sapid but pure finish. This is Tablas Creek’s fifth standalone Marsanne, and it should be interesting to follow for a decade or more. Haas notes that Marsanne needs a certain vine age to be interesting, and it also benefits from a cooler year—two criteria that were met in 2017.”

The Winery: Tablas Creek is the realization of the combined efforts of two of the international wine community’s leading families: the Perrin family, proprietors of Château de Beaucastel, and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands.

The partners searched California from the foothills of the Sierras in the north to coastal Ventura County in the south, looking for a close match to the Mediterranean climate and high pH soils of Château de Beaucastel. In 1989, they purchased a 120-acre parcel twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean in what is now the Adelaida District west of Paso Robles. They named it Tablas Creek Vineyard, after the small creek running through the property.

The property elevation averages 1,500 feet, and the shallow, rocky limestone soils are of the same geologic origin as those at Beaucastel. Summer days are hot and sunny, but the influence of the nearby Pacific cools the nights, and the remarkably Rhône-like Paso Robles climate allows the grapes to mature fully and yet retain crisp acidity. Ample rainfall in the winter allows most of the vineyard to be dry-farmed each year.

Red wines, comprising about 50% of the vineyard’s production, are made principally from Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Counoise. White wines, comprising about 35% of production, are made from Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Grenache Blanc. Two rosés, one based on Grenache and the other on Mourvèdre, account for the final 15% of production. Total production averages between 25,000-30,000 cases per year.

Read More about the winery here: https://tablascreek.com/

2012 Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah. North Coast, Sonoma County 

The Wine: (RP) Syrahs have always been the benchmark wines from Donelan, since the early days when he was using winemaker Pax Mahle. The 2012 Syrah Cuvee Christine, which is fermented with a 30% whole clusters and aged in 80% neutral oak, comes from four separate vineyards in the Russian River Valley at Sonoma Mountain. This is 100% Syrah, aged 20 months in 33% new French oak and represents nearly 900 cases of wine. Deep purple in color with lots of roast beef, blackberry, bouquet garni, licorice and charcuterie spices, the wine is rich, beautifully pure, full-bodied and showing well already, which is of course a hallmark of 2012. It should drink well for at least a decade or more.

The Winery: Donelan Family Wines is a boutique California wine company that produces single-vineyard wines from specific AVAs in Sonoma County. It produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and white Rhône-style blends from Roussanne and Viognier, but it is most clearly recognized for its highly rated Syrah wines.

The company was formed in 2000 as Pax Cellars, and was a partnership between Joe Donelan and Pax Mahle, as financier and winemaker, respectively. This partnership dissolved in 2009, and Pax Cellars was rebranded as Donelan Family wines. Mahle went on to establish the Wind Gap brand.

Donelan owns four estate vineyards to produce its limited-production wine portfolio – Obsidian, Walker Vine Hill, Kobler and Richard’s Family – and sources additional fruit from Sonoma County growers. The company’s first vineyard, Obsidian Vineyard, is located in Knights Valley and was planted 30 years ago. The Walker Vine Hill and Kobler vineyards are located in the Russian River Valley, the latter in the cooler subregion of Green Valley. Donelan’s most highly acclaimed Syrah is sourced from one of the warmer warmer vineyard sites in Sonoma Valley, Richard’s Family Vineyard.

Most of Donelan’s single-vineyard and blended Syrah wines are fermented in whole clusters with native yeasts. The juice spends extended time on the skins for full extraction, and wines are typically pressed to French oak barrels to mature anywhere from 20 to 36 months.

Read more about  here: https://www.donelanwines.com/

2013 Donkey and Goat Five Thirteen, El Dorado, Sierra Foothills

The Wine: The name probably of this wine probably comes from the facta that it is a blend of 5 of the thirteen grapes accepted for Chateauneuf-du Pape. 40% Grenache – 18% Syrah – 18% Mouvedre – 14% Cinsault and 10% Counoise.

WE: Vivid, tangy cherry and raspberry flavors practically light up this medium-bodied, polished and complex wine. It pours out red cherry, cranberry and raspberry in refreshing bursts with each sip, with a lightly astringent, lip-smacking finish.

The Winery: (From Wine .com) Donkey & Goat is a family owned and operated winery located in Berkeley California. Tracey & Jared Brandt craft their natural wines from Rhône varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in the Anderson Valley, Mendocino Ridge and the undiscovered El Dorado appellation in the Sierra Foothills. Tracey & Jared trained in France, under Éric Texier, an up and coming Rhône winemaker who taught them the art and craft of making wines that speak to the soul about the earth from which they originate. Their maverick winemaking has helped pave the way for the natural wine movement. They make their wines for the table not the cocktail glass. They make Rhône varietals in both colors plus an atypical Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir true to the varietals nature, striving to make wine as naturally as possible and done so since day one.

As home to California’s highest altitude vineyards, El Dorado is also one of its oldest wine growing regions. When gold miners settled here in the late 1800s, many also planted vineyards and made wine to quench its local demand.By 1870, El Dorado County, as part of the greater Sierra Foothills growing area, was among the largest wine producers in the state, behind only Los Angeles and Sonoma counties. The local wine industry enjoyed great success until just after the turn of the century when fortune-seekers moved elsewhere and its population diminished. With Prohibition, winemaking and grape growing was totally abandoned. But some of these vines still exist today and are the treasure chest of the Sierra Foothills as we know them.

El Dorado has a diverse terrain with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,500 feet, creating countless mesoclimates for its vineyards. This diversity allows success with a wide range of grapes including whites like Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as for reds, Grenache, Syrah, Tempranillo, Barbera and especially, Zinfandel.

Soils tend to be fine-grained volcanic rock, shale and decomposed granite. Summer days are hot but nights are cool and the area typically gets ample precipitation in the form or rain or snow in the winter.

Read more here: https://www.donkeyandgoat.com/

2013 Villa Creek Damas Noir. Mourvedre, Paso Robles 

The Wine: Full of color, ripe fruit, plenty of texture and earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is an important grape in many key regions in the south of France, as well as in Spain and the New World. Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance (there known as Monastrell or Mataro) and is the key variety in Alicante, Jumilla and Yecla. It truly thrives, however, in Provence’s Bandol region, where it shines on its own as a single varietal red and in Southern Rhône where it palys a major part in blends . It is also of great importance in the Southern Rhône alongside Grenache and Syrah—and in California and Australia, as a single varietal wine or in Rhône blends.

(RP) A wine that readers need to hide in the cellar for 2-3 years is the 2013 Damas Noir, which is a smokin’ wine made from 100% Mourvedre, fermented with, of course, 100% whole clusters. Brought up in neutral oak, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated 2013 has tons of spice, bloody meats, stem and mulled dark fruit-like aromas and flavors, as well as a structured, tannic finish. It’s loaded with potential. Winemaker Chris Cherry continues to produce a bevy of unique wines from his estate high up off of Peachy Canyon Road. The wines have shifted in style over the past decade, and today they’re much more savory and stem-dominated (most are fermented with 100% whole cluster and aged in a good portion of concrete) than in the past. I suspect the majority of these new releases will benefit from short term cellaring to let the stems integrate.

The Winery: Cris and JoAnn Cherry moved to Paso Robles in 1996 to open a restaurant, partake in the burgeoning wine scene and raise their children in the country. In 2001, they purchased their first grapes to make wine for their restaurant. And so began Villa Creek Cellars, their best expression of west Paso Robles’ Rhone grape varieties.

Today, they farm their own certified biodynamic and certified organic vineyard, the MAHA Estate in the hills west of Paso Robles. They continue to purchase grapes from the region’s most esteemed vineyards and strive to create exciting wines that reflect the land from which they originated.

The MAHA Estate is 8 miles west of Paso Robles. Extreme topography of south and west facing slopes that climb to 1800 feet continue to captivate Cris and JoAnn with the dynamic views of the coastal mountain range. The winery was erected in 2003 to house the production of roughly 3000 cases of wine each year. Monterey shale and siliceous shale provide an ideal foundation for the Rhone grape varieties planted in 2012 and 2013. Sustaining the vibrancy and the health of the land by farming the grapes under organic and biodynamic principles will, in turn, make vibrant wines. The soil is abundant in micro organisms and is the perfect host to the vines, the family and their flock of 30 Dorper sheep that graze the vineyard in the winter and spring. The energy of this site is palpable.

Read more here: http://www.villacreek.com/

 VINOTABLES RATINGS FOR THIS TASTING:

 

View full evaluation here: 65 Tasting Evaluation Summary

Best Rated: 2012 Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah, North Coast. Sonoma County – 92 Pts. – $52

Best Buy: 2013 Villa Creek Damas Noir Mourvedre, Paso Robles – 89 Pts. _$32

Tasting No. 61- April 9, 2018 – Wines from Argentina and Chile

07 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by Alfonso Sanchez in Tasting Meetings

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Argentina, Carignan, Chardonnay, Chile, malbec, Red Blends

 

 Capri Ristorante – McLean, VA

PRESENTERS: Mario Aguilar, Juan Luis Colaiacovo
TYPE :  Blind

 PARTICIPANTS

Members: Mario Aguilar, Juan Luis Colaiacovo, Italo Mirkow, Orlando Reos,  Alfonso Sanchez, Ricardo Santiago

Guests: Germán Zinke

TASTING OVERVIEW :

This tasting includes four wines, two from Argentina and two from Chile produced in boutique wineries not widely known.

  1. 2014 Antigua Costa, Wild ferment  Chardonnay, Errázuriz- Aconcagua Valley
  2. 2015 Yacochuya , San Pedro de Yacochuya, Malbec Blend, Salta
  3. 2013 Garage Co. Lot 47 – Carignan blend 2013, Viña Truquilemu, Maule River Valley
  4. 2013 Julio Julián,  Bodega Posse, Malbec Blend, Tucuman
  5. 2015 Imaginador, Pedro Parra y Familia, Red Blend, Itata River Valley

THE MENU

  1. Seafood Salad
  2. Trays of cheese, cold cuts and olives
  3. Gnocchi tomato mozzarella sauce
  4. Grilled beef steak (herbs and olive oil) and potaoes
  5. Dessert and/or coffee

INFORMATION ON THE WINES

(All information obtained and condensed from several Internet articles.)

2014 Antigua Costa, Wild ferment  Chardonnay, Errázuriz- Aconcagua Valley

The Wine: Winemaker Notes: With a light-greenish yellow color, the Chardonnay has a fresh, expressive nose with tropical fruit aromas fused with mineral notes and a subtle note of toast and brioche from the barrel aging, which greatly enhances complexity. On the palate, a zingy acidity balances out its lush creamy texture.

Robert Parker’s Wine AdvocateThe 2014 Chardonnay Aconcagua Costa was fermented in barrel with indigenous yeasts, and approximately half of the volume underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine rested in used French oak barrels in contact with the lees for ten months. It has a faint lactic nose with some smoky and spicy aromas, a core of yellow plums and waxy apples, as well as some hints of nuts with a commercial, discrete but incipient complexity; it has with an approachable profile without excess (quite subtle within the barrel fermented Chardonnays). The palate is medium-bodied, dry with pungent flavors, good length and lifted by lively acidity. This is a delicious Chardonnay at a very good price. Some 32,000 bottles were filled March 2015

The Winery: Don Maximiano Errazuriz founded Viña Errazuriz in 1870 in the Aconcagua Valley, north of Santiago. This valley has cool, rainy winters, hot, dry summers and moist Pacific Ocean breezes–ideal for growing grapes. Don Maximiano sent for the finest clones from France and with tenacity and perseverance transformed this barren land into a world-class vineyard. Today, the tradition of quality lives on with Don Maximiano’s descendant, Eduardo Chadwick–the fifth generation of his family to be involved in the wine business. Eduardo has overseen the modernization of the winemaking technology at this historic estate while maintaining a distinct identity for its wines, dedicated to producing estate grown wines of superior quality.

Read More about the winery here: http://www.errazuriz.com/en/vineyards/vineyards-in-the-aconcagua-valley/

Read more about chilean wines and regions here: http://winefolly.com/review/the-best-wines-to-try-from-chile/

2015 Yacochuya , San Pedro de Yacochuya, Malbec Blend, Salta 

The Wine: Winemaker notes: An inviting nose of smoke, tar, licorice, soy, black cherry, and black currant. This leads to a full-bodied wine with layers of succulent fruit, excellent depth and concentration, and a lengthy, pure finish.Blend: 85% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Robert Parker: A blend of 80% Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon grown at 2,080 meters altitude, the 2012 San Pedro de Yacochuya showed some restraint despite its 15,7% alcohol. The élevage lasted one year and it was in 50/50 new and used French oak barriques. But the fruit must have been so powerful that the oak is not perceptible on the nose, and it just contributed to the slow oxygenation of the wine. It has character and good complexity with a mixture of perfumed and soil-driven aromas that are quite serious and elegant. The medium to full-bodied palate is where the fruit also rules with dense, mouthfilling flavors and sweet tannins energized by good acidity. It has concentration and power both in good balance. Utterly impressive! 56,000 bottles produced.

The Winery: (From Wine Searcher) Cafayate is a wine-producing region in the north-west of Argentina. Located within the Calchaqui Valley, Cafayate is arguably the best-known wine region in Argentina outside of Mendoza, and enjoys an excellent reputation due to the quality of the Torrontes and Malbec that is grown here. Cafayate is one of the highest places in the world that is suitable for viticulture.

Cafayate sits at 5600ft (1700m) above sea level, at a latitude of 26°S (which it shares with the Kalahari desert in Africa). This high altitude is what defines the terroir of the region, making it suitable for viticulture despite its close proximity to the equator. The altitude means the sunlight Cafayate receives is more intense than in lower-lying regions, causing the grapes to develop thicker skins as protection against the solar radiation.

The altitude also explains the cold nights, fueled by westerly evening winds from the snow-capped Andes. Temperatures can be around 60F/15C colder than during the day, and it is this diurnal temperature variation that extends the growing season and leads to balance in the finished wines.

Read more about  here: http://yacochuya.com.ar/spy/

Read more about Calchaquí and Cafayate region here: https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-cafayate+-+calchaqui+valley

2013 Garage Co. Lot 47 – Carignan blend 2013, Viña Truquilemu, Maule River Valley

The Wine: Wine & Spirits: David Mossman started this company in his garage in the Providencia neighborhood in Santiago. Today he and his partners make about 45,000 bottles of wine each year, including 6,000 of this delightful old-vine, dry-farmed carignan from coastal Maule. It feels expansive and opulent, with tons of ripe red fruits flavor plus notes of violets and spice, all energized by mineral acidity. Although it will age with grace, you may want to pour it now with lamb kebabs.

Robert Parker: There were 19 barrels of the 2013 Truquilemu Vineyard Lot #47, which is from the Empedrado zone in the Maule Valley. This is closer to the coast full of granitic soils with some layered parts, kind of schists, which allow the roots to go deep. The nose is floral, elegant and subtle, a little closed at first, becoming deeper and more nuanced with time in the glass. The palate shows great, citric freshness with a thread of fine acidity going through its backbone. This is mostly Cariñena mixed in the field with other varieties picked and fermented together, but the Cariñena represents more than 85% of the blend in the wine. It has character, notes of the earth and also those violets only the best Cariñena can provide. Plain great, with a long life ahead. I had the chance to visit the vineyard later on and it’s one of those places that when you see them, you understand IT HAS to produce great wine. And in a fresh vintage like 2013, it certainly does.

The Winery: (From Wine.com): Garage Wine Co. began in 2008 with the idea of making wine on a small scale, a personal scale, by hand with the family. It was (and still is!) physical work, and a therapeutic complement to the hustle and bustle of the new millenium. Few in Chile, back then, knew what a “garagiste” was, nor were they familiar with the gringo tradition of celebrated companies having began “in the garage.” Viñas in Chile were large affairs, named after saints and owned by clubby families with long names full of double rr’s who presided over a rather closed circle. The founders of Garage Wine Co. patented the name anyway and went to work, quietly but surely, content to make wine barrel by barrel and selling it amongst friends and family.

(From the winery’s  web page)

“What’s in a Lot?
We began bottling wine in 2001 and we have numbered each bottling since then with a Lot number: Lot #1, Lot #2, Lot #3 and so on. Seventeen years passed and one of our latest releases, from the Las Higueras Vineyard for instance is Lot #72, that is to say, that it is the 72nd bottling we have done since we began in 2001. And that would be pretty much all there is say about how the Lot numbers work, save for answering the question: why so many?

Why so many bottlings? And so few bottles!
Small vineyards belonging to viñadores make for small bottlings, but the story of how we began working with so many is more of a journey. A long time ago we were invited to see a prized property about some old-vine Cariñena. We were shown a farm in tip-top shape, everything in order and with a fresh coat of paint. After seeing dozens of acres of well-groomed fruit we were shown a small section of specific rows that were available if we were interested. The broker spoke at length about the other well-healed buyers who purchased fruit from the property— we just wondered about what control we might have over the growing. What would it be like to be like to be the smallest customer of a large grower?And what would it be like to work with someone or a few smaller growers? Soon we began to look for smaller growers never imaging how small small would be. And this desire for greater autonomy over the growing— a seemingly small factor in the grand scheme of things would take us on a different path altogether.

We have grown a company around making wine from small parcels of old-vines that belong to separate small growers or viñadores whose families have been working these old vines by hand and horse for quite literally centuries. Conclusion: the reason that we have made so many short bottlings of 25oo to 75oo bottles is that we bottle the small parcels separately. “

Read more here: https://garagewineco.cl/

 

2013 Julio Julián,  Bodega Posse, Malbec Blend, Tucuman

The Wine: This wine has a great structure of soft and elegant tannins due to its maturation in French oak barrels for 2 years. The different varieties of grapes make this a complex and mature wine. The wine is a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Aged twenty four months in French oak barrels and 6 months in bottle aging.

The Winery: We have 20 hectares of planted vine on trellises with irrigation drip that uses high quality water from underground aquifers and is distributed with high precision in order to use it moderately. the projection to 4 years is to reach the 120 hectares of grapevine planted.

The pruning is a fundamental work for which we give special care to remove those sprouts that will not give fruits, remove the fruits in excess and strip the leaves off to achieve an ideal sunstroke and to assure the quality and quantity of bunch of grapes that we want to obtain.

The crop is manual assuring the care of the plant and the grape to obtain the best results both in field and in the quality of the product, the ideal moment the enologist determines it for degustation of the grape and the determinations of degrees brix.

Read more here: http://bodegafortaleza.com/home-2/

 

2015 Imaginador, Pedro Parra y Familia, Red Blend, Itata River Valley

The Wine:  A dark color and heavy aromas of savory berry fruits, leather and animal are less than elegant. This is more soupy, sticky and ripe than most Itata Cinsaults. Candied red-fruit flavors finish on the hot side due to 14% abv.

In the mouth the wine shows an incredible mineral attack from the granite soil, very fresh and long. This wine holds natural acidity and no oak

Robert Parker: There is a new red that is produced with old vine Cinsault field blends, from three dry-farmed vineyards in Guarilihue and Florida, planted together with a little Moscatel, Semillon and País, as all the old vineyards have a field blend with multiple varieties. It also has some 20% Cariñena from a separate vineyard. All the grapes from each vineyard were harvested and vinified together, and the blend goes by the name of 2015 Imaginador. It was kept in concrete and stainless steel tanks until bottling in March 2016. It has a really fresh, floral nose with aromas of acid strawberries, a touch of raspberry leaves and plenty of red juicy fruit such as watermelon and pomegranate… It’s very drinkable and fresh, with unnoticeable tannins. A red of thirst, and a very good one at that! 13,500 bottles produced.

The Winery: There is no published  information about this winery. Valle de Itata is south of the Maule Valley.  Traditional varieties still predominate in Itata, believed to be Chile’s first wine region, as the original vines entered through the port of Concepcion. This historical, cool-climate region is dominated by plantings of Carignan, Muscat of Alexandria and Pais (aka Mission, aimed more at domestic cosumption but adventurous growers are planting noble varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay with good results.

Read more about Itata Valley here: https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-itata+valley

VINOTABLES RATINGS FOR THIS TASTING:

View full evaluation here: Summary of Tasting Scores 61

 

Best Rated: 2013 Garage Co. Lot 47 – Carignan blend 2013, Viña Truquilemu, Maule River Valley – 90 Pts

Best Buy: 2015 Imaginador, Pedro Parra y Familia, Red Blend, Itata River Valley – 89 Pts.

Tasting No. 43 – April 13, 2015 – Wines from South Australia – Limestone Coast, Lower Murray and Far North

07 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by Alfonso Sanchez in Tasting Meetings

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red Blends, Riesling, South Australia

cropped-notables.jpg

Mario

Restaurante Capri

 

Australia Wine Regions.

CONTENIDO

  1. Presentadores
  2. Participantes
  3. Los Vinos y el Menú
  4. Información sobre los vinos
  5. Notas regionales
  6. Vinotables rating de los vinos

PRESENTADORES

Miguel Segovia y Orlando Reos

TIPO :  Ciega

 PARTICIPANTES

Mario Aguilar, Carlos Algandona, Orlando Mason, Italo Mirkow, Carlos Paldao, Orlando Reos, Alfonso Sánchez, Jairo Sánchez, Peter Scherer, Miguel Segovia.

LOS VINOS Y EL MENÚ

Esta degustación es la segunda de la serie de vinos de  Australia programada para el 2015, que en esta oportunidad incluye vinos de Australia del Sur,  subegiones Limestone Coast, Lowe Murray, y Far North.

 Los Vinos

  1. The lodge Hill Riesling 2013
  2. Aradia Chardonnay 2011 _ Penley State
  3. Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2009 – Penley Estate
  4. Gryphon Merlot 2010 – Penley Estate
  5. Chertsey Reserve 2008 –  Penley Estate
  6. Cabernet Sauvignon – Penforlds –Bin 407- 2010

El Menú

  1. Esnalada de maricos fría con tocineta y radichio
  2. Ensalada Ceasar
  3. Ravioli de ternera en sala aurora
  4. Codero con slasa de romero y champigñones y vegetales asados

INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LOS VINOS

(All information obtained and condensed from several Internet articles.)

Aradia Chardonnay 2011 – Penley Estate

AradiaThe Vineyard and the Winery.  Penley Estate’s 166 Ha estate is situated in Australia’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon district, Coonawarra. When Kym purchased the land it was a green site and now there is currently there is 111 hectares under vine including cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, shiraz, merlot, pinot noir, pinot munier and chardonnay. The vineyard is established on limestone covered by the famous ‘terra rossa’ soil of the Coonawarra. This, combined with ideal cool climatic conditions and an abundance of sunshine make a perfect location for vine growing.

In 1989 Penley made its first vintage, 10 years later in 1999, Penley made its first vintage in its new state of the art winery, where Kym Tolley uses a blend of modern and traditional winemaking techniques to produce Penley’s range of wines. The Cellar Door – Penley’s shop window was opened in 2001 allowing wine lovers to taste and visit the home of Penley Estate.

The key to Penley Estate’s wine is balance. Kym Tolley has the ability to integrate wood, fruit and flavour to ensure that all of our wines have great elegance, integration and finesse. Part of this style comes from the intensely rich and sweet characteristics of the Coonawarra district, but it is also reinforced by Penley Estates edict only to produce the best.  Read more at: http://www.penley.com.au/

The Wine.   This chardonnay has been made to be crisp with fresh fruit characters and a hint of soft oak that will allow some maturation if required. The colour is medium yellow with touches of grapey green. The aroma is emphasised by melon and fresh citrus fruits with a hint of biscuity and nutty complexes achieved by aging on yeast lees and the very light use of soft French oak. A finely layered palate with harmonious and sensuous flavours of melons and grapefruit. The subtle oak enhances the varietal flavours without overpowering them and leads to a silky soft finish. Read more about this wine here: http://www.penley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/11-AR-TST1.pdf

 

Alcohol: 13%; Price: $16

Experts Ratings: 

 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling – 2013

Jim Barry

 

The Wine: Winemaker’s Notes.  The wine in the glass has crystal-like clarity, with a straw colour and green hues. The nose has lifted aromas of brown lime, papaya, white peach, tangelo and cumquats. On the palate enticing flavours fill the mouth with intense pink grapefruit, feijoa, green mango at the forefront and hints of ginger and lemongrass playing a supporting role. A tight natural acid backbone keeps the palate focussed and refreshing.

Alcohol: 13%; Price:$ 18

Experts Ratings: WE: 90 pts., WS: 90 Pts.: WA: 90 Pts.

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2009 – Penley Estate

Cab ResThe Wine: Complex,fresh with black currant leaf notes, touch of mulberry and blackberry fruits interwoven with hints of wild berries and violets.The oak is quite prominent displaying some dusty and vanillin characters on the nose which over time will integrate into the wine thereby adding further complexity to the nose. A very full bodied and luscious wine, whilst still young is showing strong juicy-like tannins which will become more silky and velvety with time and evolve as the wine ages.  Read more about this wine here:  http://www.penley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2009-Reserve-Cabernet-Sauvignon-Tasting-Notes.pdf

Price: $42

Expert Ratings: ST: 92; W&S: 90

Gryphon Merlot 2010 – Penley Estate

GryphonThe Wine: This wine has a deep colour with strong red purple hues.  The bouquet is quite complex with distinct floral notes and ripe fruits complimented by nuances of sweet French vanilla and oak but with soft elegant length on the finish. The flavours are complex with a blend of florals, berries and oak, not over ripe and porty but shows typical Coonawarra spicy berry flavor.

Read more about this wine here: http://www.penley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2009-Gryphon-Merlot-Tasting-Notes.pdf

 

Alcohol: 14.5%; Price: $17

Experts Ratings::

Chertsey Reserve 2008 –  Penley Estate

chertseyjpgThe Wine: Chertsey is a wine made using varieties of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The objective was to utilise the three varieties that grow exceptionally well in Coonawarra. It is full of fresh cherries, violets and plums with hints of spice and chocolate which flows seamlessly into the rich silky pallet. A wine of the balance, elegance and understated power.  Read more about this wine here: http://www.penley.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2008-Chertsey-Tasting-Notes.pdf

Alcohol: 14.5%; Price:$42

Experts Ratings: WE 87, ST: 90 

Penfolds Bin 407 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2010

Penfolds 407

Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker and only the 4th custodian of Grange, relishes the opportunity to bring Penfolds to the world stage and is an enthusiastic ambassador and natural educator. Penfolds came to the attention of the US market when 1990 Grange was Wine Spectator’s ‘Wine of the Year’. Since then, Penfolds Grange has become one of the most collectable wines of the world and was honored to grace the front cover, once again, of Wine Spectator, with declarations of Grange as Australia’s Icon. (taken from www. wine.com)

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep magenta in color. The nose is energetic exuberant. Varietally pure – cassis/blackcurrant, at the physiologically riper end of the spectrum – no herbal or green cues. Other aromatics include derived scents extolling memories of homemade cannoli – its pastry and custard/chocolate. Upon sitting, a suggestion of Chinese sausage. French oak is evident, with clove, cedar, pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, fresh, bright and lively. It is defined and focussed. Solid, granular tannins, balanced acidity and friendly yet reserved oak, beckon an impressive structural conveyance. Palate length and persistence? Only one way to confirm… please pour.

Alcohol: 14.5%; Price: $50

Experts Rating: WS: 90 pts.; WA: 90 Pts., JS: 91Pts.

VINOTABLES RATINGS FOR THIS TASTING:

La evaluación de los vinos por los socios, que aparecerá publicada en el blog, presenta puntajes entre aproximadamente 88 a 90 para los blancos y 91 a 93 para los tintos, lo cual refleja la alta calidad de los vinos degustados. Los socios, por unanimidad, votaron que el 2010 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon fue el mejor vinos de esta sesión.  Los vinos individuales fueron calificados así:

Vino                                                                            Rango          Puntaje

  • Jim Barry – Lodge Hill Riesling- 2013                          79-94            88.1
  • Penley Estate – Aradia Chardonnay – 2011                 87-96            89.5
  • Penley Estate – Gryphon Merlot – 2010                       84-89            86.7
  •  Penley Estate – Chertsey Reserve)- 2008                   89-93            90.9
  • Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve -2009        90-93            91.3
  • Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010                 91-95            92.6

 

REGIONAL NOTES

(This information has been obtained from various internet sources, mainly Wikipedia and web pages dedicated to Australian wines as well as from the book the Wine Bible)

South Australian Wine

(See map HERE)

The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties-from the cool climate Riesling variety in the Clare Valley wine region to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley.

Some of Australia‘s best-known wines like Penfolds Grange, Jacob’s Creek, Yalumba and Henschke Hill of Grace are produced here, as well as many of Australia’s mass-produced box wines.

As with most agriculture in Australia, irrigation is vital to the success of the South Australian wine industry

Climate and Geography

Located in south central Australia, South Australia is bordered by the four other mainland states, (Western Australia to the west, Queensland to the north east, New South Wales to the east, Victoria to the south east), the Northern Territory to the north, and the Great Australian Bight forms the state’s southern coastline.

The climate of the state varies greatly, with the more interior regions like the Riverland being intensely hot, and growing cooler closer to the coastal regions like Adelaide Hills. Across the region there is low annual rainfall, which necessitates irrigation to counter droughts.

Vines are grown at altitudes from the low valley regions of the Barossa and the Riverland up to1,970 feet high in the vineyards at Pewsey Vale in the Eden Valley. The soil types are also varied, and include the terra rosa of the Coonawarra region, the limestone–marl based soils of the Adelaide and Riverland areas, and the sandy, clay loam based soils of the Barossa. 

Australian wine labeling

Since the 1960s, Australia’s labeling laws have used an appellation system known as the Australian Geographical Indication (AGI), which distinguishes the geographic origins of the grape. Under these laws, at least 85% of the grapes must be from the region that is designated on the label. In the late 1990s more definitive boundaries were established that divided Australia up into Geographic Indications known as zones, regions and sub regions. 

South Australia wine zones and Regions

Adelaide super zone

In South Australia, a fourth geographical indication known as a super zone is used which consists of a group of adjoining zones. As of 2014, only one ‘super zone’ exists: this is the Adelaide region, which consists of the Barossa, Fleurieu and Mount Lofty Ranges zones. The Adelaide super zone was registered as an AGI on 27 December 1996. 

Barossa Zone

The Barossa zone is located just outside the northeast of Adelaide and contains two Wine Regions: Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, both of which have received appellation as AGI in 1996.

  • The Barossa Valley wine region is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious premium wine producing regions, known for its Shiraz production. The area’s climate is very hot and dry (for a wine producing area). Most of the area’s white wine plantings (Chardonnay, Riesling and Semillon) are located on the higher altitude hill sides around the valley where they can be cooled by the ocean breeze. In recent times the area has found some success with plantings of Rhône varietals including Grenache and Mourvèdre. Due to the hot climate, the grapes can become overripe, which requires the winemakers to limit the maceration time to prevent the wines from being overly tannic. 

Viticulture and winemaking

Grapes in the Barossa Valley can get very ripe with high sugar and low acid levels.

Most of the Barossa Valley makes extensive used of irrigation to supplement the region’s low rainfall supply during the growing season. The increased water stress of the practice, coupled with the naturally reduced yields of old vines, tends to produce the most deeply concentrated grapes in the valley which often go into the Barossa Valley ‘s most expensive and sought after wines. Harvest usually begins in February and may be conducted in the cooler temperatures of night to help maintain acid levels.

The generally hot climate of the Barossa Valley usually means that the grapes become ripe very easily with high levels of sugars and low levels of acids. Winemaking in the Barossa Valley often utilizes the process of acidification in order to add balance to the wine. The high alcohol levels from the fermented sugars may be offset by various winemaking practices including reverse osmosis and adding water to the must. Historically, winemakers in the Barossa Valley have utilized very short maceration periods that limit the amount of time that the wine spends in contact with the skin. Often the wine is racked off the skins into oak wine barrels before fermentation is even completed. While this does mean that supplemental tannins might need to be added, this short maceration often leaves the wines with a smooth mouthfeel. The extensive use of oak is also a characteristic of Barossa Valley winemaking with American oak, with its more aggressive dill and coconut aroma notes, often used more than French oak. 

Grapes varieties

While the Barossa Valley is most commonly associated with its signature grape variety of Shiraz,[5] the region does grow a number of grape varieties. Among these other varieties are Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon.[13] The popularity of Syrah has sparked interest in the development of other Rhone varieties, with increase production of Grenache and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Australia) for both blending and varietal bottlings. Many of these vines are remnants of the Barossa’s fortified wine history and such have substantial age themselves.[5]

Despite its reputation as a red wine region, the Barossa Valley does produce a large amount of white wine.[14] Riesling has been historically important in the region but has gradually shifted eastward to higher elevations and cooler climates of the Barossa Ranges. Many Rieslings labelled with simply “Barossa” will often include more grapes from the cooler Eden Valley wine region than the Barossa Valley. This is permitted as the geographical indication of the Barossa Zone also includes the Eden Valley wine region that borders the Barossa Valley wine region to the east and which has developed an international reputation for the quality of its Riesling.

The plantings of Semillon in the Barossa Valley have evolved to develop its own unique pink-skinned clone that is distinctive from the Semillon found in its French homeland of Bordeaux or the internationally known Semillon from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Barossa Semillon is characterized by its full body, golden color and low acidity. Traditionally the wine was fermented in oak but in recent years has been produced more with stainless steel. Barossa Chardonnay is often oaked and subjected to malolactic fermentation, which produces a big, full body creamy wine.

  • The Eden Valley wine region includes the High Eden sub-region, and is known for its rockier, more acidic soil than the neighbouring Barossa Valley. The area has a higher elevation (in the 400–610 metres (1,300–2,000 ft) range), and thus has a colder, wetter climate. The Eden Valley is home to the Hill of Grace vineyard with its 140+ year old Shiraz vines that are behind the Henschke Hill of Grace wine. The Eden Valley has also gained international attention for its limestone noted Rieslings. 

Fleurieu zone

The Fleurieu zone is located south of the Adelaide metropolitan area, between the mouth of the River Murray and the Gulf St. Vincent and includes Kangaroo Island. Five Wine regions are contained in this zone.

  • The Currency Creek wine region is located on the west side of Lake Alexandrina  Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon grow here, though the area also produces some notable red wines.
  • The Kangaroo Island wine region is located just off the coast of South Australia and is known for its Bordeaux style wines.  
  • The Langhorne Creek wine region is located southeast of Adelaide. Orlando Wines sources many of the grapes for its Jacob’s Creek brand from this area, which has a reputation of its dessert wines.
  • The Southern Fleurieu region is located on the southern end of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The area’s sandy loam and gravel based ironstone soil supports Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Riesling and Viognier plantings. Shiraz, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot and Primitivo are also planted at Nangkita in the centre of the Peninsula
  • The McLaren Vale wine region is located south of Adelaide and extends to the south of Morphett Vale. With the area’s 22 inches of rain, and diversity of soil types including sand, clay and limestone, this area produces a wide range of wines with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon blanc being the most widely planted. 

McLaren Vale Region

McLaren is located approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia. Grapes were first planted in the region in 1838 and some vines more than 100 years old are still producing. Today there are more than 88 cellar doors in McLaren Vale. The majority are small family-run operations and boutique wineries Barossa and McLaren Vale food and wine are key icons of South Australia and in 2012 legislation to protect the character of McLaren Vale was passed, preventing the region to become a suburb of Adelaide.

Climate and geography

McLaren Vale has a Mediterranean climate with four clear seasons. With a dry warm Summer, the area has dry weather from December through to March or April, giving an easy change between summer and winter. It is gentle with long warm days and short cool nights. The region rarely experiences frost or drought due to its close proximity to the sea. 

Wines

The McLaren Vale region is well known for its dry red wines, especially those made from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot are also grown. White wine varieties in the region include Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon blanc and Riesling.

In recent years innovative wineries have begun using less common varieties such as Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Barbera, Cinsaut, Vermentino and Viognier.

Notable for producing Shiraz, the grape is by far the most important variety for the region, accounting for about 50% of the total crush. The area’s thin soils, limited water, and warm summers harness Shiraz’s natural vigor and produce intense flavored fruit, and wine with a deep purple color that can last decades in the bottle. McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity.  

  • Shiraz is harvested from late February to early April. McLaren Vale Shiraz displays pronounced berry and spice characters with some dark chocolate and liquorice, while Shiraz from cooler sub-regions exhibits defined ripe raspberry characters. McLaren Vale Shiraz is renowned for its great softness and rolling palate. Many winemakers in McLaren Vale choose to blend their final Shiraz from a variety of sub-regions to add complexity. McLaren Vale naturally produces Shiraz that has very small berries. Smaller berries have a higher skin to pulp ratio.   Within McLaren Vale and its subregions there is a diversity of soil types, clones and winemaking philosophies, which has led to a huge range of Shiraz wine styles being produced. Most winemakers produce at least one Shiraz wine
  • Cabernet Sauvignon is Less famous than McLaren Vale Shiraz, but equally enchanting, Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale continues to display the rich ripe characters that typify wines from this region. Violet and blackcurrant flavours, vibrant plum, mint and edges of liquorice and a touch of McLaren Vale’s trademark dark chocolate character are common. 

Soil characteristics

The McLaren district has many different soil types and this contributes to the wines from the area having different terroir. The vineyards are planted on soils including fertile red-brown earths, terra rossa, rendzina, soft sands and dark cracking clays.

Each of these soil types contributes to the rich diversity of wine produced by the winemakers of the region. Overall the soils have one common trait; they are free draining which means they hold very little water. This is, in fact, an advantage, as it allows the accurate control of moisture to the vines through the use of state-of-the-art drip irrigation. Because of reliable winter rain, irrigation can be kept to low levels and manipulated to achieve the production of superior fruit.

Some soil types allow grapes to be dry-grown. Approximately 20% of the total crop is dry-grown. These dry-grown vines are renowned for small fruit size, which is sought after for the intensity of its flavour.

Most vineyards are found on gently undulating land at about 100 m above sea level. In the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east, where there is a scattering of vineyards, elevation rises to 320 m. In the north around Blewitt Springs elevation is around 200 m. These variations in elevation have a significant impact on the terroir and fruit produced in the vineyards. 

Subregions

McLaren Vale Region includes the subregions of Blewitt Springs, Township of McLaren, Seaview, McLaren Flats, Willunga South and Sellicks Foot Hills, each one with different soils, elevation, closeness to the sea, temperature and drainage making them able to produce a big array of terroirs and wines.   

Mount Lofty Ranges zone

The Mount Lofty Ranges zone are located immediately to the east of Adelaide, north of the Fleurieu zone and south and north of the Barossa zone. It contains three regions and two subregions.

  • The Adelaide Hills is located 9 miles from the Gulf St Vincent coast, winds from which have a tempering effect on the mediterranean climate of this region, making it one of the coolest in South Australia. The region contains two sub-regions, Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley.
  • The Adelaide Plains is one of the hottest and flattest wine regions in South Australia. The area’s Magill vineyards located on the edge of the foothills: “The Grange”, pioneered by Christopher Rawson Penfold, and “Auldana”, pioneered by W. P. Auld, once provided the grapes for the production of Penfolds‘ Grange.
  • The Clare Valley is South Australia’s most northerly major wine district.
  • The region contains two areas considered to be sub-regions – Polish Hill River and Watervale. Despite its hot and dry climate, many of the vineyards in this area are not irrigated. This helps to reduce crop yields and to concentrate the flavours in the grape. The region is known for its ability to produce Chardonnays, Semillons, and Rieslings that range from full body and luscious to light and delicate. 

Far North zone

The Far North zone is located north of the Clare Valley wine region.

  • The Southern Flinders Ranges. Located along the Goyder’s Line, the area receives an ample amount of rainfall and tends to harvest earlier than the more southerly Clare and Barossa valleys. The area is best suited for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. 

Limestone Coast zone

The Limestone Coast zone is located in the south-east of the state, bounded by the continental coastline to the south, the border with the neighbouring state of Victoria to the east and the Lower Murray wine zone to the north. Six wine regions are contained in this Zone.

  • The Coonawarra covers an area centred on the strip of land adjoining both sides of the Riddoch Highway mainly north of the town of Penola and is bordered by the Wrattonbilly region in the north, by the Mount Gambier region in the south and by the Victorian border in the east. It is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon grown in its terra rossa soil. For years there were disputes within the Coonawarra region about which vineyards could rightfully be considered “Coonawarra”, and which were outside the boundaries. The soil itself became the deciding factor, with the lands with red terra rossa soil being visually distinguishable from the black soil found interspersed throughout the region. In addition to Cabernet, the region has also found some success with its Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon and Shiraz.
  • The Mount Benson wine region is located in the southeastern part of the state near the Robe wine region, west of Coonawarra. In the late 20th century, the area saw an influx of foreign investment, including the Rhône wine estate M. Chapoutier and the Belgium Kreglinger winery. The wines made here tend to be fruitier and less tannic than Coonawarra.
  • The Mount Gambier wine region is located around the regional city of Mount Gambier. The first planting of vines occurred in 1982. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication in 2010 and as of 2014, is represented by 20 vineyards and eight wineries.
  • The Padthaway wine region is a little north of, and slightly warmer than, Coonawarra, but it is better known for its white wine production, particularly Chardonnay. The wines here are known for the balance of their natural acidity and fruit.
  • The Robe wine region is located near Mount Benson in the southeast part of the state, west of Coonawarra.
  • The Wrattonbully wine region is located between Coonawarra and Padthaway and had its first commercial vineyards established in the area in 1968. The climate of the region is similar to Coonawarra, but vineyards in the Wrattonbully region tend to be higher elevated and on better drained soils. The soil of the area includes clay, sand and loam on top of limestone, with some patches of terra rossa. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are the most popular plantings. 

Lower Murray zone

The Lower Murray zone which is located to the east of the Adelaide superzone, is bounded by the Limestone Coast zone to the south, the Far North zone to the north and by the border with Victoria to the east.

  • The Riverland wine region is the highly irrigated land where a large percentage of Australia’s bulk and box wines are produced, similar to the Riverina region in New South Wales. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec and Riesling are some of the largest plantings in the area. The Riverland region also has one of the larger single plantings of Petit Verdot in the world, with Kingston Estate planting 100 hectares (250 acres) of this variety. 

The Peninsulas zone

The Peninsulas zone covers the entire Yorke Peninsula, an adjoining portion of the Mid North of South Australia, the portion of Eyre Peninsula south of a line of latitude approximately in line with Crystal Brook and the islands located off the adjoining coastline. It is bounded by the Far North zone to its north by the Mount Lofty Ranges zone to its east.

  • South Eastern Australia wine region

The South Eastern Australia wine region covers the area south of a line running from Ceduna in western South Australia to the junction of the borders of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia (known as Cameron Corner) and then to the intersection of the Tropic of Capricorn with the eastern continental coastline. This region was registered as an AGI on 1 May 1996.

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Recent Posts

  • Tasting No. 69 – January 12, 2020 – Piedmont Grapes, Gavi and Nebiolo February 7, 2020
  • Tasting No. 68 – January 15, 2020 – Zinfandel January 12, 2020
  • Tasting No. 67 – September 18, 2019 – Rhone Blends from Central Coast USA September 8, 2019
  • Wine Tastings and more in Tuscany August 4, 2019
  • Tasting No. 66- June 10, 2019 – Hidden Regions/Varieties June 11, 2019

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