Wine Code Breaker #328

Non-vintage Pirie Sparkling, Tasmania

The first apple tree was planted by William Bligh in 1788.  This was also the first apple tree planted in Australia.  For Tasmania, apples became an important industry with exports these crisp and crunchy balls of joy being exported to countries far and wide.  It was at its peak that Tasmania became affectionately known as the Apple Isle.  Grapes were also planted in Tasmania by William Bligh in that same year.  Turning those grapes into sparkling wine has taken much longer to get started with the first made in 1984. Today it has been quoted as running rings around many sparkling wines from Champagne.  Matured yet? Perhaps not, but we can enjoy the journey.

The Pirie Sparkling is a Non-Vintage blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Tasmania.  A lightly golden coloured wine with a fine bead persisting.  The nose has peaches, floral nose and light touches of red berries.  This is complemented by the aroma of vegemite on lightly toasted bread.  The palate has hints of peaches, red berries and yeast of baked bread and red apples, more Pink Lady than Delicious.  Crisp acidity and a fine beady mousse provides a beautiful textural platform that supports its persistence of flavours.

Enjoy!

Rating93 pts
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DrinkNow; 2-4 yrs
Price$30
TastedMay 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #327

2017 First Creek Shiraz, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

The Hunter Valley wine region in New South Wales is Australia’s oldest.  It tends to get lost when compared to the volumes out of the other regions across the country.  What is remarkable, is that the Hunter Valley produces <1% of the nations crush.  The leading red wine of this warm climate region is the Shiraz.  The style is not a blockbuster, more of a medium bodied wine that is good now, but delightful much later.

The 2017 First Creek Shiraz from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales is a vibrant purple that flashes brightly.  The nose has red berries, touches of leather and citrus zest, floral elements and herbs of cardamoms and bay leaves.  The palate has those red berries coming through, with flecks of plums, spices and herbs. Its texture is grainy which combines with the acidity to deliver a remarkable persistence and longevity for the price.

Enjoy!

Rating94 pts
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DrinkNow; 10+ yrs
Price$20
TastedApr 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #287

2014 Devil’s Lair Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia

One from the archives of 2019…One of the earliest sites evidencing human occupation in Australia is named as Devil’s Lair.  Located in the southwest of Western Australia, it is a large single-chamber cave that has had artefacts discovered dating back around 50,000 years.  To help us remember this important site, there is also a winery from the area called Devil’s Lair.  As a producer of fine wine from the Margaret River, it pays homage to the land, seasons and history of the area as well as providing a respectful nod to our ancient land and peoples.

2014 Devil’s Lair Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River district in Western Australia is a purple garnet coloured wine that flashes brightly in a torch lit cave.  The nose wafts on a gentle breeze with fresh green beans, cassis, capsicum and herbal notes including tobacco (as this is world no tobacco day, it should be noted that this is appropriate tobacco).  There are also touches of chocolate and mint, but not choc mint as this is too strong a reference.  Does that make sense?  On the palate, the cassis really shines through; bold and elegant with complexing red fruits and herbs.  The cedary oak is well balanced throughout and this delivers a wonderful persistence of flavours across a bed of fine sandy tannins.  Whilst it may not last 50,000 years, it will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 50,000 hours.

Enjoy!

Rating95 pts
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DrinkNow; 19+ yrs
Price$55
TastedMay 2019

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Wine Code Breaker #326

2018 Singlefile Family Reserve Chardonnay, Great Southern, Western Australia

Zephyr is the name of one of the four humanoid characters of the Elementals as featured in the Marvel Comics.  As the Mistress of the Winds, Zephyr had the power to control the wind, sky and air to create havoc.  It is a sad story of betrayal for Zephyr was eventually defeated by Ms Marvel (aka Carol Danvers).  A zephyr, of course, is also a soft gentle breeze that is in stark contrast to the hell-raising of its humanoid form.  These gentle breezes are a key feature of the Denmark region in the Great Southern wine region of Western Australia.  And it is this feature that provides a positive influence on Chardonnay from this region.  

The 2018 Singlefile Family Reserve Chardonnay is from a single vineyard in the Denmark area of Great Southern in Western Australia.  It is a light golden-coloured wine with a brightness that delights. The nose presents peaches, grapefruit, oatmeal and touches of cashews, lifting it up on a gentle breeze.  On the palate this breeze becomes blustery in a good way, with gusts of grapefruit, waves of peaches and flashes of savoury nuttiness on the back palate.  It is a taught and texturally layered palate with lees and nougat.  Unlike the comics, the oak influences and crisp acidity finishes this off beautifully, knowing there is more in the bottle to relive the experience.

Enjoy!

Rating94 pts
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DrinkNow; 3-10 yrs
Price$55
TastedApr 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #147

1997 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia

One from the archives of 2015…Once the euphoria of your child’s birth passes, there is a dawning realisation that you have absolutely no idea what it is going to take to raise this mini you. Some days you get it right, others can be a complete disaster. Fortunately, you quickly learn they are resilient little things full of their own richness of mind and it is from here that you guide them and enjoy the ride helping to celebrate the milestones, big or small along the way. Selecting a wine to celebrate these milestones also needs to be considered with care and the richness of fruit and resilience of it in its youth are both key to ensuring it can go the distance.

The 1997 Penfolds RWT Shiraz was the inaugural release of this style. Sourcing its grapes from the sub regions in Barossa, it developed its style from a red wine trial with French oak rather than the American oak of its more famous sibling, Grange. From the first moment this once juvenile wine was poured, it was clear that it had aged gracefully. The colour was a matured brick red with an aged coloured rim that was more dark red than brown and some brightness remained. The nose was an elegant expression of dark berries and plums with the savoury spice of oak. Some blueberries, perhaps lightly torched, dark chocolate and coffee beans added complexity and interest. The palate was a medium weight displaying fruits that had developed into an elegant array of secondary flavours, more towards blackberries and figs with dark chocolates and crushed nuts. The nuts being more walnut than almonds. A long and persistent palate was its defining feature built on lovely fine grained tannins. A score of 97 for the ’97 seems entirely appropriate and it was clear that it was rich and resilient enough in its youth to support a significant family milestone.

Happy Birthday to my ’97.

Enjoy!

Rating97 pts
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DrinkNow
Price$160 (for current release in 2015)
TastedJun 2015
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Wine Code Breaker #281

2013 Mitchelton Print Series Shiraz, Central Victoria, Victoria

From the archives of 2019…How can you produce great wine in an area that is considered to be a warm climate region and experiences less than 600 mm rainfall in an average year?  In many parts of the world this would be considered a desert.  The Nagambie Lakes district that forms a sub-region of Central Victoria is just such a region.  As we all know, no water equals no vines equals no grapes equals no wine.  Fortunately, this little patch benefits from the underground water table that sneaks through the region as fed by the rainfall in far away regions.  Another benefit of this region is the sandy soils that the vines stand up in as they have remained largely untouched by phylloxera.  With great care, the red grapes from this region produce wines that are full bodied, boldly structured and marvelously flavoured.  

The 2013 Mitchelton Print Series Shiraz from Central Victoria in Victoria is a brightly coloured crimson with loads of appeal as it is swirled around the glass.  The nose is complex to say the least with plums, spice and black fruits in abundance leaping out of  the glass.  Hints of chocolate, more milk than dark, with alluring vanilla bean notes adding subtlety.  The palate equally matches the nose for complexity and fruit flavours.  Brambly blackberries with coffee and liquorice blend neatly with the bold yet velvety tannins.  All in all it delivers a wonderfully textured wine with depth and persistence that gets close to matching the depth of the roots sneaking through the sandy soils in search of precious water that rarely falls from the sky.

Enjoy!

Rating95 pts
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DrinkNow; 10+ yrs
Price$80
TastedApr 2019

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Wine Code Breaker #325

2018 Warramate Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Victoria

Did you know that the 20th of May is World Bee Day? This day pays homage to the role of bees and other pollinators of the ecosystems of our world. Just think what we would struggle to find without bees. Almost 75% of the world’s food crops require pollination from a bee or other pollinator. Then there is about 35% of the worlds agricultural land requiring bees and other pollinators to thrive. Without the pollination of the Chardonnay buds by bees, we would be missing out on celebrating World Chardonnay Day on the 21st May. Coincidence? I think not.

The 2018 Warramate Chardonnay is from vines pollinated by bees from the Yarra Valley in Victoria.  The wine is largely clear with an ever so lightly nectar coloured tinge.  The nose buzzes with pink grapefruit, poached peaches and apples, lemon zest, touches of pears and nashy fruit.  On the palate the citrus stings and stone fruits soothe. Poached peach with the fresh lees and cashews balances the crisp acidity to deliver a persistence to is an ode to bees of past, present and future.

Enjoy!

Rating93 pts
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DrinkNow; 3-5 yrs
Price$28
TastedMay 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #324

2018 Mr Riggs Piebald Syrah, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Piebald is usually used in reference to a horse that has irregular patches of two colours; mostly black and white.  Of course, this is now not the case and piebald can be used to describe anything or anyone who happens to be composed of or looking like they are of two contrasting colours.  CS Lewis was perhaps the most prolific user of this term as evidenced by his book Perelandra.  Ransom, the main character and for those in the know will recall how the green lady laughed and capered with mirth at the site of his piebald statue.  As a reference for a wine; it just means “yum”.

The 2018 Mr Riggs Piebald Syrah from Adelaide Hills in South Australia is partially piebald being mostly a bright garnet leading to a purple coloured rim of its youth.  Its nose becomes multi-piebald with cooler climate spices, cherries and plums, a touch of roast meat, herbs, liquorice and intense spices.  Dark berries of black berries, boysenberries, blueberries and forest floor brambly berries are there with air and a bit of cherry pie and cream adds profound interest.  The palate excels with a multi-hued flavour profile that is intense and persistent.  Floating on a bed of fine velvety tannins, driven by an elegantly structured acid delivers a wine that is delightfully piebald; no shades of grade.

Enjoy!

Rating93 pts
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DrinkNow; 3-10 yrs
Price$24
TastedMay 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #323

2019 Kalleske Plenarius Viognier, Barossa Valley, South Australia

The autumn sunsets are amazing.  The sky is clear, leaving orange hues splaying upwards as the golden orb disappears below the horizon.  You cannot help but smile in wonder.  It would therefore seem reasonable to test out an orange style wine.  These are white wines that are made a little bit like a red wine.  The grapes are crushed and fermented on the skins for a period of time.  This is where the colour comes from.  You look at the colour and it is polarising in how different it looks.  They are a style that you either love or hate.  If you never give it a go, you will never know which side of the sunset you are on.

The 2019 Kalleske Plenarius is a Viognier orange style from the Barossa Valley in South Australia.  The colour is of a classic autumnal sunset with its slightly burnt orange hue. The nose is highly aromatic with marmalade and floral notes and kumquats, stone fruits, and lemon zest.  Lychees burst forth as if the shell has been freshly pierced.  On the palate, the marmalade on toast blends with the funkiness of the skin contact.  It is rustic, textural, grippy, oily, and earthy, with each melding together to splay flavours into the sky and leave a smile of wonderment on your face.

Enjoy!

Rating92 pts
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DrinkNow
Price at tasting$30
TastedApr 2020
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Wine Code Breaker #140

2012 Gemtree Uncut Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia

One from the archives of 2015…The split infinitive is a grammatical construction in which a word or phrase divides the to and the bare infinitive of the to form of the infinitive verb. According to the font of all wisdom, Wikipedia, it is the interrupting adverb or adverbial phrase which comes between to and the verb. This got me thinking as to what sort of wine Yoda would drink and how he would construct a tasting note. As to the first part of the question, I would say McLaren Vale Shiraz as it has a dark side that is strong enough to seduce even someone of such a mastery of the Force. And now for the latter part.

Gemtree, 2012 it is. Uncut Shiraz, McLaren Vale it is from, garnet coloured it is. Patience you must have my young padawan, for air is needed to reveal secrets of the nose. Powerful it is, dark plums, briary berries, herbs I sense in it. Mmmm, rosemary there is. Through the palate, things you will taste. Drink or drink not. There is no try. Always plums there are, no more no less. Salty they are. Berries there be. Named must your tannins be before swallow them you can. Velvet they are, svelte they be. Good balance with acid it has. Long in taste it is. Save it you must. Cellar it you can. Long it will live.

May the Force be with you this Stars Wars day. May the Fourth it is.

Enjoy!

Rating90 pts
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DrinkNow; 5-10 yrs
Price$20
TastedMay 2015
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