Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/488317
april 2015 / the tasting panel / 63 Australian Whites Jim Barry 2013 Lodge Hill Riesling, Clare Valley (South Australia) Tahitian lime and flowery varietal perfumes are underscored by touches of petrol (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-di- hydronaphthalene; a.k.a. TDN) not atypical of Australian Riesling, yet mild enough to add intriguing complexity— particularly when laced within the lithe, fluid, lemony length of flavors of wines like the Lodge Hill. Peter Lehmann 2009 Margaret Semillon Barossa Valley (South Australia) The current vintage of Peter Lehmann's Semillon comes across as rounder than McWilliam's Hunter Valley style, but shows even more of the classic fig, lanolin-like, beeswaxy notes of the varietal; crisp edged, desert dry, yet long and refreshing in its unfettered, feathery lightness (stainless steel–fer- mented; sub-12% alcohol). Tahbilk 2013 Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes (Victoria) Noting the mild resurgence of interest in their Marsanne, originally planted in the 1860s on this Goulburn River estate (owned and managed by the Purbrick family since 1925), Export Director Matt Herde sardonically remarked, "Fantastic to see that our category has a pulse." The 2013 quivers with scents of orange blossom, citrus peel, sweet cream and residuals of perfume in a grandmother's dresser; tart-edged, silky, savory and amazingly light, pure and steely (all tank-fermented; barely 12% alcohol, if that). A 2004 of the Tahbilk was strikingly similar; fresh, zesty, a little toastier, honeyed and creamy textured—another victory for the underappreciated curios of the wine world. Shaw + Smith 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills (South Australia) This bottling merits note for the way it expresses a pure nakedness of varietal character (stainless steel–fermented) with neither excess pyrazine nor annoy- ingly ripe fruitiness. Instead, you find grapefuity freshness and a mild green leafy herbiness that is more like whiffs of scented lime geranium than cut-grass or peppers; refreshingly light, citrus- crisp, mildly minerally. Fowles 2013 Stone Dwellers Chardonnay, Strathbogie Ranges (Victoria) Strathbogies Ranges is an emerging region (planted only since 1968) with the advantage of classic sandy clay loam, set between massive outcroppings of granite boulders. The potential is for finer, sleeker styles of wines, which the Fowles family sensibly enhances with neutral format fermentation (half steel; half in 500- and 600-liter French oak puncheons). The resulting wine metes out appealing pear and citrus/pineapple in lean but lanky, light-medium bodied, stone and lemon crisped sensations, with nuanced oak tucked neatly into the backdrop. Australian Reds Hollick 2012 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra (South Australia) Similar to other Coonawarra- grown releases familiar to American buyers (most notably, Wynns John Riddoch Limited Release and Wolf Blass Gold Label), this is a thick, deep colored (almost black purplish), velvet-textured Cabernet Sauvignon with resonating minerality, unabashedly aggressive oak spices and none-too-subtle minty/ green pepper pyrazines—powerful, even voluptuous, yet still marvelously proportionate, neither over-sized nor undernourished. Fowles 2012 Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz, Strathbogie Ranges (Victoria) Never mind the typically Aussie we-be-just- plain-blokes-making-plonk- in-the-outback name of this wine—this is a genuinely well-balanced, restrained, thoroughly modern style of Shiraz, driven primarily by acidity and tertiary notes rather than bludgeoning alcohol, tannin, oak or jam- miness. The perfumed nose weaves violet, rotundone (the black and green peppercorn component inherent in Syrah DNA) and blackberry notes, coming across as fresh and lively on a silky, medium-bodied palate. Tellurian 2012 Pastiche Shiraz, Heathcote (Victoria) "Heathcote is to Syrah what Coonawarra is to Cabernet Sauvignon," says Davidson, in reference to the region's moderate temperatures, fostering longer hang times and notably racy acidity—manifested in the vivid color, elongated feel, iron-like minerality, and multifaceted nose (violet, pepper- corn, dark roast coffee) in this medium- bodied rendering of the grape. Wynns Coonawarra Estate 2010 Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra (South Australia) Coonawarra's predisposition towards elegant, terroir-driven Cabernet Sauvignon is also ideal for Syrah. In this wine, the peppery spiced rotundone component is particularly intense, intermingling with blue fruits, cedarwood and a scrubby, herbal core present in the nose, unfolding in tightly wound yet meaty, bright and medium-bodied sensations. Peter Lehmann 2011 Drawcard Shiraz/Mataro, Barossa Valley (South Australia) This modern era producer (established in 1982, and sourcing from as many as 140 independent growers in any given year) craftily tames the runaway-train qualities of Barossa grown Syrah by blending just enough old-vine Mataro (aka Mourvèdre, about 10% in this blend) to give a more compact, mod- erately weighted feel and emphatic, earthy, bloody, roasted meat dimension to this wine, while the Syrah character predominates with floral, silky textured qualities. Moorooduc Estate 2012 Robinson Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula (Victoria) Sourced from Moorooduc Estate viticulturist Hugh Robinson's vineyard, located in the cooler climes of Victoria's southernmost area, this delicate, feminine style of red may be just about the spiciest Pinot Noir coming out of Australia today—lacing cinnamon, star anise and sweet pepper scents with sour cherry/strawberry notes, couched in a zesty, tart edged, light-medium body.