as the peregrine falcon soars

2010 Vasse Felix Cabernet Merlot | Margaret River | Western Australia

Dr. Tom Cullity trained a peregrine falcon to guard his vineyards from pests. Unfortunately, it flew away as soon as it was released to do some work, the winged bastard. The falcon logo has been used on every Vasse Felix label since the 1971 vintage. And story aside, it perfectly encapsulates what makes these wines some of the most exciting to come out of Australia, and possibly, the new world. 

The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest animals on earth, reaching up to 322 km/h (200 mph) during its high speed dives. It's an efficient hunter, striking and capturing its prey mid-air. These qualities have lead to several cultures associating it with aggression and martial prowess. Native Americans of the Mississippian culture used the peregrine falcon in imagery as a symbol of aerial (celestial) power and buried men of high status in costumes associating to the ferocity of these birds. In the late Middle Ages, the Western European nobility considered it a royal bird - more armed by its courage than its claws.

The wine is simply stunning. I'm a firm believer that a true mark of a great producer is the quality found in their least expensive wines. And now that I've tasted both the basic chardonnay and this estate level cabernet merlot, it's pretty obvious to me that Vasse Felix possesses all the characters I look for in a great wine. Varietal and vintage character; depth and complexity; texture and structure; drinkability and ageability. Above all, the wines are quietly intense, full of nuance that asks a lot from the drinker, but also offers great rewards for those that take the time to listen. The wines find a great balance between old world character with new world brightness and purity.

The notes for the wine show a blend of primarily cabernet sauvignon, but with good amounts of merlot, finished with malbec. It comes together to give the graphite minerality and dark fruits of the cabernet, with an initial sweetness from the merlot, ending with a fine and elegant structure. Handled beautifully in the cellar, with only 7% new French oak, with the rest being aged in 1-5 year old barrels. I'm not dogmatic about alcohol levels, but I am quite sensitive to anything above 14% abv. At a listed 14.5%, the alcohol in this wine is imperceptible, a testament to the ripeness of the fruit, and how well it was managed in the cellar. The skill of the winemaking team clearly in play. Fresh, vibrant, energetic, with all the character and backbone you want in a cabernet blend. Bravo!

I could be accused of getting a bit carried away, but after that disastrous tasting of red syrup at Catch the Wave, I needed to remind myself that sometimes philosophy about winemaking counts more than raw materials. Australia is clearly capable of producing true, authentic red wines - so why aren't more producers doing it? Why do they insist on nuking their fruit and making wines out of dead grapes - to only try to convince you that that's what red wine should be? Elegance and subtlety aren't contradicting characters to soulful, exciting wines. So will more Australian producers begin getting it already?!

DF

down under giving us a chard to get down with

2009 Nugan Estate Frasca's Lane Vineyard Chardonnay | King Valley | Victoria

And then we moved onto a chardonnay from Victoria, from a sub-appellation called King Valley. It's located in northeastern Victoria, centred on King River, and is known as an agricultural region. Vineyards are planted to a wide range of varietals, a great number of them Italian. Nugan Estate is a large producer, owning vineyards in Riverina, King Valley, and McLaren Vale, and sourcing fruit from Coonawarra. The notes for this wine can be found here.

Pale colour, almost close to the previous riesling. Finesse and delicacy on the nose - it's clearly a chardonnay, with a buttery roundness to the aroma, but there's fine mineral elements as well. Great handling of the extract on the palate, on a long, bitter-tinged finish. Again, a vibrant, exciting style of chardonnay that has structure yet elegance. Bottled under screwcap as well.

Having gone through a good sized Australian wine tasting recently, it's apparent to me that their white wines are infinitely more interesting than their reds. And why? Acidity and freshness, that's why. As drinkers, we need to get over this nonsense that high alcohol and obscene amounts of oak equals quality - wasn't this whole bigger, bolder, better crap dead and done with? Here's a test to check the quality of a wine, and it's a simple one: don't judge a wine on a single glass. If you can finish the entire bottle, you know it's a good one. And with these two white wines - a single bottle isn't enough.

DF

hand in the air for Australian whites

2011 Pewsey Vale Riesling | Eden Valley | South Australia

I had a trio of Australian wines recently that blew my mind so thoroughly I'm going to have to write about each separately to relive all the awesomeness.  Two whites and a red, and all the hyperbole aside, I wonder ... why aren't more Australian wines like this, when it's obvious that they're more than capable of producing graceful, terroir-driven wines?

Pewsey Vale has a long history going back to the mid 1800's, and was the site of the first vineyard planted in Eden Valley. Eden Valley, along with Clare Valley, form an unequivocally formidable duo that's producing some of the most exciting dry riesling in the world. In a New World framework, of course - these are different from Alsatian wines, but are nonetheless terroir wines, and authentic interpretations of the varietal. As a mark of their unique heritage, select Eden Valley producers have even adopted an industry standard bottle. Drinkers accustomed to (and expect) that heavy-handed, syrupy style of wine they associate with Australian shiraz will be pleasantly surprised here - the wines have great finesse, with impeccable balance. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value for what you're paying.

A Friday night, dinner at home, and feeling kind of beatdown. What better way to pick yourself up than going through a pair of Australian whites? This was, in a word, magnificent. Mineral and vibrant, fabulous extract running through the palate. A crescendo of energy and intensity that roars through the finish. Just a brilliant example of that linear New World style of riesling, with structure and concentration, yet remaining perfectly balanced. Stunning.

One other note: this was bottled under screwcap, and with wines this young, you sometimes wonder if the wines need to settle in a bit. No awkwardness here - the wine was open and expressive, and although clearly a good candidate to lay down for a few years, drinking beautifully. We forget sometimes that winemaking is as much a craft as an art, and that it extends all the way to how you seal the wine in the bottle. A fabulous start to dinner, and then we poured the chardonnay ...

DF

saying YES to a wish

2010 Vasse Felix Chardonnay | Margaret River | Southwest Australia

Decanter recently featured a piece about Margaret River wines, written by the always articulate Ch'ng Poh Tiong. There appears to be a gradual changing of styles of the wines from this region, with producers more keen on crafting elegant wines with more focus and precision - leaner wines with high acid, more tuned to classic European styles than the big, monstrous nukes the New World has championed. The tide of buttery, alcoholic, overly lees-aged wines has come and gone, and to no surprise, it's the producers who've (stubbornly) stuck to what chardonnay really is, and upheld minerality and finesse over big-ness that remain the standard bearers of this region.

And what a fabulous little corner of Australia this is. Margaret River is a wine producing region in the southwest corner of the Western Islands (shout-out to my New Zealand homies!). The region runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in the south, featuring a ridge running from cape to cape that undulates with a maximum elevation of 90m. The climate is more maritime-influenced than any other major Australian region, with the lowest mean annual temperature range and with controlled precipitation; only 200mm of the annual 1160mm millimetres falls between October and April. The rainfall and diurnal climate draws comparisons to Bordeaux in a dry vintage.

The region is planted to nearly 5,500 hectares with vineyard, with the majority of wineries producing at a small scale. And this is where Vasse Felix comes in. Sort of a chicken or egg situation; I had bought this bottle a few weeks earlier, but it wasn't until I read Ch'ng Poh Tiong's Decanter piece that I realized how important this producer was to Margaret River. In 1967, Dr Tom Cullity planted the first vines in Margaret River, named the vineyard Vasse Felix, and the rest, as they say, is history. Their wines are known to showcase subtlety, finesse, and varietal character. All the elements that transcend fashion, trend, and fickle consumer tastes.

2010 was considered a very good vintage for Margaret River chardonnay. Moderate spring conditions in 2009 allowed for better flowering and fruit set than in the previous two years. High temperatures in late January and February saw rapid ripening for whites, allowing for healthy, ripe fruit at harvest, with minimal risk of disease. This chardonnay was fermented with indigenous yeasts, with each vineyard parcel handled separately. It was aged for 9 months in French oak, of which about 1/3 is new, with the rest being 1-2 year old barrels. Alcohol at 12.5%, which is wonderful to see.

This is a delicious wine. All the delicacy, the finesse, the beautiful elegance that chardonnay can show. A fine wine indeed. Fresh and lively, all kinds of energy going on. So why can't more chardonnays (and wines in general) be like this? It whispers sweet-nothings instead of shrieks mean-nothings, becomes more interesting with time instead of flashing and fizzling like a firecracker.

I wished for a wine I could drink all night without regret the next day, that could continue to change and develop with air. I got all that, and more. We need to be paying more attention to Margaret River, and not just the white wines . . . the cabernet sauvignon and syrah from here can be very interesting as well. I could go on and on about how we drank it, what we drank it with; the important thing is that these wines belong on the table, with lunch or dinner. We don't need to be talking about these fabulous wines - naw, we need to be drinking.

DF

fruit and heat and all that

2009 Hogue Genisis Syrah | Columbia Valley | Washington

2010 Wits End The Procrastinator | McLaren Vale | South Australia

My uncle and aunt visited us from Melbourne at the end of April into the first week of May. It was great - we last saw each other briefly in April 2010, in Shanghai. They were on a big trip around North America, touching pretty much every major city on both coasts. Unfortunately, they had been out traveling a bit too long by the time they reached Toronto, and needed some rest. We didn't drink as much as I had hoped, but things happen, not to mention my preoccupation with GMAT.

We had a big dinner the last Sunday they were here though. Roast duck and all that love. I asked my uncle what he preferred - a white or red. The white was going to be an Australian semillon, and the red was the one above, a Washington state syrah. As I thought, being a middle-aged Chinese man, he went for the red. Under screwcap, it was typical of that big American style. All alcohol and overripe fruit, layered under oak. Not much there.

Which reminded me of a McLaren Vale cabernet blend I had drunk a few weeks earlier. The Wits End The Procrastinator is a blend of 63% cabernet franc, 23% merlot and 14% cabernet sauvignon. Is it hopeless to expect a wine of finesse from this part of Australia? More of the same, that macerated fruit, the total and utter lack of any varietal character. What's the fucking point? It drinks like a science experiment, totally devoid of any nuance or charm. I'm really hoping to come across a bottle to prove me wrong, but is McLaren Vale nothing more than a wasteland of 15%+ alcohol, sugary confections masquerading as real wine?!

Oh right, the Washington syrah. No syrah character whatsoever, but my uncle enjoyed it. Which is what those chemists were going for, isn't it.

DF

liking to go down (under)

2009 Hunter's Pinot Noir | Marlborough

2009 Wakefield Chardonnay | Clare Valley

2011 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Dry Riesling | Clare Valley

I don't care much for the down under. Australians (and their wines) have a certain reputation in North America. Yellowtail and other junk notwithstanding, you get the distinct sense talking to an Australian that no sky is bluer, no grass is greener, no place closer to paradise than being down under. They're great people, they're great people, but your country is a 24 hour flight from anywhere and 2/3 of your land is described as "useless".

Even though I have family there, I've never been to Australia, much less New Zealand. And as for Australia at least, I have no interest in visiting, not even for a look. My feelings for their wines maybe cloud my judgement, but really, if I'm going to subject myself to ~30 hours of travel, there better be a fucking pot of gold at the end of it. And kangaroos and sheep hardly get the pulse racing. NZ on the other hand, sounds absolutely amazing . . .

One of my favourite uncles is going to Australia very soon. I hope he enjoys himself. It's a relatively shorter flight from Shanghai to Melbourne - what they're going to be doing there for the next month or so is less certain. It's almost ironic, but I feel more of a foreigner going back to Mainland China than I do anywhere else. As long as I'm in a place where English is reasonably accepted. China, or rather, Shanghai is a problem because apparently, I can't speak Shanghainese in my city anymore. Everywhere I turn, I see some hick who barely speaks passable Mandarin, much less my language, claiming to be a local. It doesn't work like that. It's cool you like my city so much, it's cool you're the thas wassup, but no, being old Shanghai has to be in your blood. Anyways. My uncle's going to Australia. I wish him a lot of fun, and I hope he drinks a lot of wine.

I want to see New Zealand. First, for the wines, and second, to walk the LOTR trail to Mordor. Wild land, great seafood, fabulous wines . . . suddenly the long, long flight seems completely worthwhile. And not much more can be said about Jane Hunter's wines. An amazing story, and clearly an amazing woman who, in my opinion, consistently produces some of the most exciting wines out of Marlborough. I've drunk a few vintages of her pinot noirs, and each has been delicious. Distinctive, varietal wines that oddly, remind me of the best Niagara pinot noirs - lots of similarities in the character (and style) of the wines of both regions. The 2009 here is no different. Lean, but precise and defined. Pure fruit, some spice, really, really delicious. Cool climate pinot noir, but with beautiful fruit expression.

Everytime I drink a wine from Clare Valley, I'm reminded that I need to give Australian wines a serious look. Balanced wines that actually taste of the varietal, that offer true excitement. A world away from the clownish shit from the rest of the country. Clare Valley is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the country. Settled in the 1840s and named after County Clare in Ireland, Jesuit priests fleeing religious persecution in Silesia (now part of Poland) planted the first vines in 1851. Geographically, the region lies in the mid-north of South Australia, about 120 km north of Adelaide and an hour's drive west of the Barossa Valley. Clare Valley comprises five sub-regions; Sevenhill, Clare, Watervale, Polish Hill River, and Auburn. These sub-regions are reflective of the different interweaving valleys and creek-beds, and thus the differences in soil-type, altitude and climate. The west-facing, higher altitude vineyards are reputed to produce the finest wines. Along with a moderately continental climate, the higher altitude provides cool nights allowing the fruit to ripen more evenly and slowly.

Riesling is the dominant varietal here - truly world class in expression. They're long lived wines, with many demanding anywhere from 5 to 10 years of bottle age to fully open up. Towards the turn of the last century, a collaboration of local winemakers saw all Clare Valley Rieslings put under Stelvin screwcap seals to minimise any chances of defect.

Although much has been written about the climate of this region, in many ways it is difficult to reconcile with its wine styles. Its weather data point to a far warmer climate than is the case; cool afternoon breezes are the key and play a major role in slowing down the ripening process. Furthermore, altitude and position within the Valley as well as aspect all lead to considerable variations in individual site climate. Overall, however, the climate is moderately continental, with cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days; average summer temperatures hover around 29°C, whereas the opposite is usual for winter. An average rainfall of 632mm and an average winter temperature of 13° mean that Clare Valley is one of mainland Australia's coolest wine regions. The soils vary, from red to brown grey in colour, and with significant limestone sub-soil content, particularly in the more southerly subregions. The harvest begins in early March and finishes, typically, with riesling coming in last in late April.

With this type of terroir, there's no reason why other varietals wouldn't be successful - chardonnay, cabernet, and my goodness, possibly a syrah (sorry, shiraz) out of Australia that actually tastes like syrah. The chardonnay here - wonderful. Instantly recognizable chardonnay, that creamy citrus fruit. Good amounts of ripeness, with just a kiss of oak. Balanced, with alcohol, acid, and fruit achieving great integration. Fabulous. And the Jim Barry riesling; OH MY GOD. Incredible. Lean and mineral, zippy citrus. High acid, with an almost perfect amount of dry extract on the palate. Long, and very ageworthy in style. True riesling, that perfect balance between traditional minerality and structure, and new world purity of fruit. A beauty.

DF

2008 Adelaide Riesling

2008 Penfolds Thomas Hyland Riesling | Adelaide

Riesling, at its best, is thrilling, vibrant, and quite possibly, one of the most exciting wines to drink in the world. It all hinges on alcohol, sugar, and acidity. I got a good look a few weekends ago when I tasted the new release of Hidden Bench's rieslings, both at the estate level and single-vineyard bottlings. I won't comment on how hideously overpriced all the wines are, but more importantly, the wines were all just shrill, just shrieking of under-ripe, enamel-stripping acidity.

I've made it quite clear (click on Germany label) that in my particular opinion, the Germans make some of the finest, terroir-specific wines in the world. There are many good wines in the world; few excite and induce a euphoria quite like a German riesling. A few critics that I respect have been writing favourably about the dry riesling being produced in Australia. I'm no lover of this country, or its horribly overdone red wines, but I wanted to at least have a taste.

The wine was extraordinary.

And from a big producer too. Dry, low alcohol, perfectly balanced. Citrus notes and floral in bouquet, the wine is linear, with lovely delicacy and lift on the palate. Dances, but has the necessary dry extract to make a firm impression. Long, slightly bitter on the finish. Just fabulous, brings truth to the idea that maybe we all need to be paying more attention to Australian riesling. They have all the technical know-how, and seem to have the right terroir for it . . . now we just need to have agencies who bring more of it in. D|O|S . . . death to shiraz!

DF

2008 Margaret River

2008 Night Harvest Shiraz, Margaret River

What's happening . . . LCF showing Australian shiraz? What? What??!!

Nothing personal against Australia; I mean I have relatives there. The wines? Not so great. And I'll tell you why. If you like Australian wine, you have to admit that you like fruit in your wine. Lots of it. Overripe, over-macerated, over-alcoholic, over-extracted, over-oaky . . . it doesn't matter, any and all fruit is good.

But that isn't complexity. And that isn't greatness.

Wine tasting of nothing but fruit is simple - it can be good to drink and all, but it will never be a great wine. Australians, like everyone else, abuse the concept of terroir by applying it to their wines. There is no terroir in fruity wines. These are wines that can be replicated anywhere in the world, from any grape variety. Shiraz is a brand wine, not a varietal anymore - and that is not terroir. And that's the issue I had with this wine.

Few wines can elicit an immediate physical reaction. Deep purple in the glass, the bouquet is so intense, so overwhelmingly viscous that I involuntarily recoiled at first smell. Good fruit, surprisingly fresh. The label reads 13.5% alcohol - showing some finesse! The wine doesn't appreciably develop over the three days I had it open. It's simple fruit, drinkable, but ultimately a simple wine.

One more thing. And this is a problem that the producers unfortunately can't control. I'm referring to the odours of reduction that can appear in wines bottled under screwcap. You see, the Australians are religiously fanatic about abolishing natural cork to stop their wines. They can quite convincingly argue that problems with TCA, oxidation, and ageability are all serious considerations to avoid using cork. And while screwcap may solve those issues (good ageability remains to be seen), they've traded one problem for another. You see, screwcap almost closes the wine too well. Sulphur added to the wine can permeate the bouquet, leaving an oily, rubbery aroma that stays in the wine. That's what happened here - hopefully an isolated incident, but instances of reduction are definitely a real problem for screwcaps, and an issue that probably is lost amidst all the foaming at the mouth ranting about the evil cork.

DF

2009 Clare Valley

2009 Pikes Traditionelle Riesling, Clare Valley

I've never cared much for dry riesling. Alsace is great, but they always seem so heavy, so alcoholic, and so clumsy, especially after drinking the German wines. I've been trying to keep an open mind about it. Will I find elegance in an Australian?

Oh, but I did. Balanced, varietal riesling, good character. Not as minerally or extracted as I hoped, but a good reminder of how important the producer's style is. Overdone wines can be made in the best terroirs if not handled delicately . . . but I have a question about minerality. This quality in wine, so difficult to explain, but so tangible. I look for it especially in riesling, but did not find that character in this wine.

Is minerality a product of terroir? Of viticulture? Or of personal style? And can it be clearly defined, as clearly as one would describe a wine as having a bouquet of honeys and apples?

DF

2004 Margaret River

2004 Evans & Tate The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

I've got to confess - I have a deep prejudice against the wines of Australia. Unfair, definitely. And I've even got family there - one cousin who lives in Melbourne, the other in Sydney (not that we've ever shared a wine together). But we've been conditioned in North America to accept that all Australian wines are in the mold of monster McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley shiraz, or worse, the Yellowtail ocean. There has to be proper Australian wines, as there are good and undrinkable examples in all wine regions of the world - but how do you experience it when general tastes are less than refined?

I found one. I actually found an Aussie that is complex, subtle, and shows character. Needle in a haystack, yes, but finding these treasures affirms all that is good and true and honest about wine. From the Margaret River, not sure if this is 100% varietal cabernet, but enough to be labelled as such. Dark red, with a nice ruby edge, rustic and minty on the bouquet, generous cabernet fruit, but with a beautiful underlying minerality. Fine, elegant palate, although it does lack a certain lushness in the mouth. This is Australia, after all. Slightly bitter on the finish, fine tannins. Delicious.

Varietally correct wine, but I can't help but feel that if perhaps if a bit of merlot or shiraz were added, to give some roundness in the palate, it could be even more impressive. Nonetheless, a very noble example of cabernet, subtle and age-worthy. Proof that yes, some of them do know what they're doing down there.

DF

2007 Victoria

2007 Red Hill Estate Pinot Noir, Victoria

I don't drink much Australian wine. Why? Prejudice? Perhaps. But I've yet to be blown away by anything I find from here. Maybe at the high end, I'll find it, but if I'm going to spend $50-$100 on a wine, it sure won't be from Australia. Anyone with a few vintages of Penfolds Grange who feels like sharing?

That's why this was such a great surprise. A pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria. Pale colour, pleasant earthiness, taut...the balance won me over. This is a good one. With another 24 hours, the wine gets meatier, more savoury. A proper pinot noir. Well done.

DF

2008 Yarra Valley

2008 Yarra Ridge Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

I've come to stop expecting greatness from Australian pinot noir. And yet I still shoot myself in the foot and pay $20+ for a bottle. The previous bottle I tasted was more of a disappointment, but this one - no, I still overpaid.

Deep cranberry red, with a more restrained nose. Red fruits, spice, brambles - more of a pinot noir character. But really spicy. Oak at play. Wood in an Australian wine - what a surprise. Shocking spice on the finish. Clipped length. Builds a bit of weight on the second day, but uninspired, with inadequate varietal character and sparse regional flair.

The alcohol is a bit lower, but still quite prominent. And that's disappointing in a pinot noir. Sigh. Come on guys, you can do better. I know it's possible for a proper wine to come out of Australia. Yarra Valley is an appellation in Victoria - I've tasted good pinot noir from Victoria. Still waiting for that second, great bottle.

DF

2008 Tasmania

2008 Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Pinot Noir, Tasmania

New discovery. Tasmania is an island off the south coast of Australia, and is reputed to be producing great cool-climate varietals. So let's start with the most challenging - pinot noir.

Yeah, this one's a nuke. Took my head off with the absolute ballistic fruit bouquet. They're going for a blockbuster, without regard to what true pinot noir is. Am I even drinking a pinot noir? Spicy oak, lots of alcohol, little complexity. Lots and lots of alcohol, burning the palate.

Disappointed. I paid $27 for this bottle. Overpaid, no?

DF

Australian garbage

I wrote a few days ago that I had one bottle of Australian red wine in my cellar, a bottle that my father had bought a few years back. It was a 2003 shiraz/voignier blend, from a well-known producer. Won't name it, because it honestly isn't worth it. The 2006 vintage sells for $27.95. From what I remember, we bought our bottle for around $30.

The particular cuvee did have a cute name - "The Laughing Magpie". To me, this just reeks of corporate marketing bullshit.

I was hoping that this wasn't going to be a generic, overriped, monstrosity of a wine. I was so wrong. It was inky, black, dense, thick - all the things that scares me. The alcohol was chokingly overwhelming. Huge fruit, that saturates everything. Alcohol that hides the tannins. Disgusting.


This wine falls apart very quickly. These is no cohesion, no integration between the components. It quickly breaks down into this hideous oakiness and bitter tannins. So much extract, it's like you're eating jam.


There's no character to these wines. And that's what pisses me off. About New World wine in general. This is not for eating with a meal. This is a cocktail wine, for those yuppie pricks who think they understand wine. THIS IS NOT WINE!!!!!!!!!!!


This garbage is vile and has no soul. If this is the direction that wine is going, then I'm going to lose my f*cking mind.