Pinot Noir
Australischer Sauvignon Blanc im Aufwind
Cuttaway Hill’s winemaker Mark Bourne on the new releases from Cuttaway Hill, Southern Highlands Australia:
Sauvignon Blanc Wein
downunderwines:What are the top selling wines this year Mark? Was sind die Spitzenweine wenn es nach den Verkaufszahlen geht, Mark:
Mark Bourne: The new release Cuttaway wines in, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Semillion Sauvignon Blanc and the new 2009 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as they seem to be in high demand.
downunderwines: And let us know, why these wines from Cuttaway Hill are selling so well despite a wine glut in Australia / und lassen Sie uns wissen, weshalb gerade die Cuttaway Hill Weine sich so gut verkaufen, trotz diverser Horrornachrichten zu Massen an Weinen, die auf dem Markt seien:
Mark Bourne: I suppose the only Cuttaway news, is in spite of the constant media stories about the Australian and World oversupply of wine, it proves that if you are making good wine there is always a demand for it. Against the trend across Australia, in June we are releasing 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Chardonnay, 2009 Pinot Noir all ahead of schedule due to the high demand for our wines. We are simply sold out with the older vintages and need to release the wine ahead of schedule.
downunderwines: We know that one of your big favourites is your Sauvignon Blanc – what is the background to this love story? Wir wissen, dass einer ihrer aboluten Favoriten der Sauvignon Blanc ist, was macht jenen so gut und wie vergleichen Sie ihn im internationalen Vergleich?
Mark Bourne: As far as we can see, we are probably one of the first to release a 2010 unwooded white wine in Australia this year, and the leading white wine by volume last year, at our small family owned estate, is the Sauvignon Blanc. In Australia, where we are constantly flooded with cheap New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, this is indeed a surprising outcome. I think we maybe be able to put it down to offering a different style of Sauvignon Blanc to a market that is looking for something besides the same New Zealand style product vintage after vintage.
Our Sauvignon Blanc has a vibrant green tint colour with gooseberry and herbaceaous aromas combined with a ripe citrus and tropical palate and with a very nicely balanced long crisp finish – that makes this wine an outstanding sample for real Australian Sav Blancs – much less acidic than the SBs from across the Tasman.
Mark Bourne, wir danke Ihnen für dieses Interview, we thank you for your open comments.
Ihr Michael Brecht
Hunter Valley und Mornington Peninsula – zwei Weingegenden DownUnder zukünftig gemeinsam unterwegs
Ich habe vor wenigen Tagen mit Scott Clarke gesprochen, er ist Business Development Manager der Inwinegroup und berichtet uns über den Merger der beiden privaten Weingüter Red Hill Estate aus Victoria und Arrowfield Estate aus dem Hunter Valley in NSW.
The views on the Mornington Peninsula
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us, we really would like to get some good insight into the merger between Victorian Red Hill Estate and Arrowfield Estate from the famous Hunter Valley.
downunderwines: How did the merger between Arrowfield and Red Hill work?
Scott: Prior to the merger, Arrowfield operated a fully owned subsidiary distribution business, Inwine, which featured additional wines from premium Australian wine growing regions. The initial discussion with Red Hill Estate was on a distribution basis but it was soon discovered that there were synergies between the two companies. Discussion then headed in that direction with the final merger in late 2006.
downunderwines: How do you work together being in two very different wine regions in Australia?
Scott: One of the strengths of the working relationship is that we have maintained the independence of both production facilities. As both wineries have remained independent they continue to focus on producing the best wines possible from their respective regions. From a portfolio point of view the wines are complimentary to each other with little conflict.
downunderwines: What were the surprises after the merger when making wines?
Scott: I think the greatest surprise to us was the way the wineries did not impact on each other. If we separate production and trade, the merger has more impact on trading than production per se.
downunderwines: Exporting into Europe: any major differences between the two?
Scott: Both entities have had experiences in trading in Europe prior to the merger. We now approach the EU as a blank canvas with one combined portfolio.
downunderwines: Current releases: 06 Arrowfield Estate Shiraz: what do you like specifically about this wine?
Scott: What I like about the 06 AE Shiraz: It is a great food wine, has nice savoury characters with good tannin and acid structure. The wine is subtle and elegant so it doesn’t overpower the food.
downunderwines: 08 Pinot Noir from Red Hill: any special news?
Scott: The 2008 vintage was characterised by favorable growing conditions, an early start and above average yields. A mild February enhanced aromatic characters and a hot week in March increased sugar levels but did not seem to be deleterious to primary fruit flavours. These conditions resulted in opulent wines with distinctive aromatics.
downunderwines: Exporting into Europe: what are the risks, why do you do it?
Scott: Our global strategy has been market by market or “bite sized pieces”. We have recently completed our successful market roll-outs in the USA, Ireland and Northern Ireland and the time has come to focus on the EU. Naturally with all export there are risks associated and it is the role of the exporter to minimize those risks where possible. Distance is a major setback exporting Australian wine to Europe as we do not have the luxury of easily “eyeballing” our prospective importer, nor they “eyeballing” us. We can not hop on a short flight to Germany to meet with an importer, this takes a full day’s travel at significant expense. Why do it? Sometimes I ask myself that, then I remember whose job it is and I know why! In all honesty our domestic market is so competitive and dominated by the major wine companies that international expansion is essential for the survival of all wine producers over 20,000 cases.
downunderwines: The German wine drinker: what do you know, expect, what would be different?
Scott: My understanding of the German wine drinker is that they are a lot more adventurous than their more conservative Italian or French cousins. It is this spirit of adventure that makes the German wine drinker more likely to approach a new world wine and historically Australian wines have performed well in Germany.
downunderwines: And finally, please let us know what your favourite wine in your portfolio is?
Scott: As a Hunter Valley lad born and bred, I like the wines from the Hunter Valley. The Arrowfield Estate Show Reserve Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz appeal most to my palate. Having said that; if I were to be eating my favourite food, duck, then the wines from the Hunter would not be the best match and I would need to drink a lovely Red Hill Estate Pinot Noir of which I am also fond.
downunderwines: And what is your favourite wine overall?
Scott: I tend to lean more towards fuller bodied red wines that reflect the characteristics of their regions. I am also influenced by occasion, company and cuisine. That being said it is certainly a matter of the right wine with the right food according to my guidelines or “rules of engagement”. Once that match is made correctly some wines take on a new personality and I immediately enjoy them.
downunderwines: Any German wine you like?
Scott: I really enjoy the Mosel Riesling, especially those made by JJ Prum from the Sonnenuhr vineyard: purity, focus and precision.
Scott, thank you very much for your time and we wish you the best of luck on your European endeavours.
Michael Brecht
Ein total verregneter Sommer in Australien – rain, rain and more rain
Nun sitzt Michael seit wenigen Tagen in Deutschland und staunt nicht schlecht über den vielen Schnee, da senden wir ihm aus Australien diese Nachricht, dass dieser Sommer hier extrem verregnet ist.
Lethbridge Wines in Geelong Victoria
Regen bringt Segen, das gilt ganz bestimmt in Australien, insbesondere wenn man an die Dürrekatastrophe der vergangenen Jahre in vielen Landesteilen denkt.
Doch für einzelne Winzer ist der Regen auch ein echtes Problem. Meist kommt er in Massen, selbst wenn es nicht gerade Hagelschauer sind, so gibt es Gegenden in denen auch schon einmal mehr als 100mm über Nacht fallen.
Fast so schlimm geschehen bei Lethbridge Wines, deren Weine wir in den vergangenen Jahren immer wieder getestet haben. Die Familie nutzt regelmässig einen erweiterten Freundeskreis für die Ernte und musste gestern allen hilfsbereiten Pflückern absagen. Lesen Sie selbst:
“After hoping and praying for rain for the past 10 weeks, it finally came last weekend, at just the WRONG time. Fortunately we had no damaging storms or hail, but 60 mm of rain just when the grapes are ready to pick inevitably means that the sugar levels go down as the berries take up water.
We were hoping for a quick recovery, but after sampling all week it looks like we still have another week or so until the berries lose some of that water. After establishing a reputation for powerful Pinot Noir the last thing we want is watery wine.
Harvesting Crew Downunder
If you had booked for the picking this weekend (14th March) then we are sorry to disappoint, but the event is being re-scheduled for the following Saturday 20th March. If you are available to pick on that day we would love to see you, click here to book, same start time, approx 9:00 am, hope you can make it… ”
Ansonsten willkommener Regen – jetzt zur falschen Zeit – wir sind schon in einer seltsamen Industrie und leider, oder vielleicht zum Glück ist zumindest das Wetter hier in Australien unberechenbar.
Ihre Anabel
Over the Shoulder – Helene’s favourite Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley in Australia
Vor einigen Monaten hatten Freunde zu einer Nachahmung des legendären ‘Duck & Pinot walk’ des australischen Kochlegende Chong Liews aufgerufen. Inhalt dieser tagesfüllenden Aktivität war, die besten Entengerichte in Adelaides China Town in Kombination mit australischem Pinot Noir zu probieren. Ganz nach australischer BYO Kultur hatte jeder mindestens eine Flasche seiner Wahl mitzubringen.
Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley
Wie man sich denken kann, kam da recht was zusammen. Dennoch waren wir uns alle einig, dass eine Kombination absolut gewonnen hatte: Bei ‘Over the Shoulder’ aus dem Yarra Valley mit Peking Duck Pancakes schlugen einfach die Funken.
Woche für Woche habe ich im Anschluss versucht, bei meinen Freitagseinkauf auf dem Adelaider Central Market mehr von diesem wunderbaren Wein zu finden. Vergeblich – Immer ausverkauft! Nun hatte ich endlich Glück und habe mich auch gleich entsprechend eingedeckt.
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A few months ago, I got to know a great Pinot Noir at an informal “Pinot & Duck” tasting at China town in Adelaide: ‘Over the Shoulder’ from the Yarra Valley!
Since then, I have been desperately looking for it all over Adelaide. Finally, I had luck at the Central Market bottle shop, where it is usually sold out week after week. No surprise!
Helene Luckner from Adelaide
Aged Pinot Noir – does this work?
Am vergangenen Sonntag habe ich in dem Tiefen meines Weinkellers zwei Kisten Wignalls Pinot Noir 2005 entdeckt. Ein wenig erschrocken ob dieses Fundes, habe ich mich sofort gefragt: Pinot Noir, der ein paar Jahre gelagert wurde, ja geht denn das überhaupt?
2005 Wignalls Pinot Noir 
Da half es also alles nichts: wir mussten umgehend ein paar Flaschen öffnen. Meine erste Sorge des ‘Korkens’ war schnell aus dem Weg geräumt: Wignalls nutzt wie fast alle fortschrittlichen Wineries in Australien den Schraubverschluss, ohne Korken keinen verkorkten Wein. Too easy!
Wignalls ist ein kleiner familiengeführter Betrieb in der Albany Region, also an der Südküste von Western Australia gelegen. Das dortige Klima ist recht einzigartig, denn die dortigen Tage sind für WA recht kühl und die Nächte maritim warm. Und als Pionier der Pinot Noirs in WA gab es schon Anfang der 90er Jahre Pinots von Wignalls.
Mein 2005er hat die letzten Jahre gut überstanden, seine Nase verspricht dunkle Waldfrüchte, sein weicher und voller Abgang ist geradezu typisch für die Pinot Noirs aus WA, schliesslich gibt es dort nicht gar so viele Winzer, die diese Rebsorte anbauen.
‘Kurzfristiges Kellern wird den geneigten Investor sehr zufriedenstellen’ steht auf dem Label, dem ist nichts mehr hinzuzufügen.
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I bought two cases of Wignalls Pinot Noir a few years ago and kind of forgot about them in my wine cellar. When I discovered them last Sunday, an instant question popped up in my head: aged Pinot Noir – does this work?
It certainly does, the 2005 Wignalls Pinot Noir is still a standout of this variety coming from WA. The unique micro climate of the vineyard, the 2005 year being outstanding and the fermentation techniques of this winemaker, who is the pioneer for Pinot Noirs in Western Australia – it all adds up and makes this wine a great sample.
Michael Brecht
Der 2006er Cool Climate Pinot Noir von Brangayne aus Orange
Brangayne of Orange is a winery which claims a highly famous prize within their trophies won over the past years: their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc won a Gold Medal of the New Zealand International Wine Show this year – a prize that is as difficult to achieve as a win for the Wallabies at the All Blacks in Rugby Union.
The Brangayne Driveway in Orange
I met Marianne Brown on a cold, rainy and windy spring day while visiting the cellar door, no one else around and while looking at the photos with snowy poplar trees on the walls of the shed, I was clearly reminded that this part of their winery lies above 1,000 metres in altitude.
Quickly I begin to understand that this boutique winery emphasises on the cool climate traditions – the wines include the regional ‘hero’ Sauvignon Blanc, an unwooded as well as a Reserve Chardonnay. Asked for her personal favourites Marianne tells me that due to the cold weather she really likes the reds at the moment, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon recently won a Gold medal at the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show and the newly released 2006 Shiraz was outstanding when I tried it at the cellar door on the day.
The cool climate wine selection
I chose the 2006 Pinot Noir for the night – cherry red in colour – and though still young already displaying strong wild berry characteristics. The palate shows ripe plums with a well balanced acidity – a real highlight of a finely crafted cool climate Pinot Noir. I enjoy its long finish and finish the bottle on the same night in front of a warm fire – Orange in October can be a bit chilly.
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Der Held der Region Orange ist die Sauvignon Blanc Traube – sie gewinnt sogar im Sav Blanc Heimatland Neuseeland Goldmedaillien – so geschehen dieses Jahr in Form des 2008er Sav Blanc von Brangayne.
Die Winery besetzt zwei verschiedene Hügel um Orange auf 1000 und 850 Meter Hoehe, hier wachsen die Trauben für vorzügliche cool climate Weine heran. Das Sortiment umfasst neben den Sav Blancs zwei Chardonnays, einen Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz und Pinot Noir.
Wir geniessen einen noch recht jungen und doch grossartigen Pinot Noir aus dem Jahrgang 2006 zum Dinner und bei offenem Feuer – draussen tobt der Regen bei gerade einmal 5 Grad Celsius – Orange im Frühling kann doch recht kalt sein.
Ihr Michael Brecht
Orange Wine Week – you’re only in it when you are based on 600m plus altitude
From the 16th to 25th of October 2009 Orange wine enthusiasts celebrate their wine week consisting of 10 days with close to 100 events showcasing the district. Whether wine, food, music, sport or arts, there is a lot to do in this time.
Wine week in Orange
Orange winemakers claim to make wine that people like to drink, this is at least the comment I get most when travelling through the region and visiting its many cellar doors.
Orange is considered cool climate with an altitude from 600m to about 1,000 metres and the night temperatures dropping to quite pleasant levels even in the sometimes extremely warm summer months.
Don’t even try to call your wines from ‘Orange’ if your grapes grow under 600m altitude. The ‘climbing’ and ‘rolling hills’ story of Cumulus wines confirms this story nicely, we’ll report on this in a separate post.
Rain closing in
But the local winemakers also claim that the soil plays a major role too: there is the volcanic basalt of the old volcano on Canobolas (the views frrom there are the more impressive when rain is in sight) or the red-brown clay in some other parts, the Orange region provides very rich and fertile grounds for the vines to thrive on.
Winemakers such as Philip Shaw with his Koomooloo Vineyard, the famous Printhie Wines with winemaker Drew Tuckwell or Stephen and Rhonda Doyle as two of the pioneers of the Orange wine region: they all came to produce outstanding wines and their highlights so far have been their whites: Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The latter is claimed in Orange’s prospectus for the wine week as ‘the hero variety with international recognition’.
I will check out on this in the coming days, as our spring family holiday leads us to this wine region – so far pretty undiscovered by myself. I am also told to watch out for the cool climate stars Pinot Noir and Shiraz – well it will be a pleasure to start the discovery.
The time is ripe, as James Halliday’s guide descibes the 2009 vintage from Orange as ‘a memorable vintage for some, especially reds: whites good with volumes down 10%’. Let’s see what the next days bring.
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Ich befinde mich in Orange – einer Region im westlichen NSW – keine 5 Stunden von Sydney entfernt. Hier haben sich grosse Namen wie Philip Shaw, Drew Tuckwell oder das Doyle Ehepaar angesiedelt, um hier ihre Weine anzubauen. Sie werden ergaenzt um eine ganze Serie an kleineren Wineries, die zwischen 1,000 und 5,000 Dutzend im Jahr abfuellen und meist komplett vermarkten.
Ich freue mich auf diesen Besuch, denn die hiesigen cool climate Weissen und inzwischen auch Pinot Noirs und Shiraz gelten als Geheimtips Australiens in diesem Jahr. Begleiten Sie mich auf dieser Reise durch eine der jungen Weingegenden Australiens.
Ihr Michael Brecht
Regional wine show results – a mistery for some
Last week Friday I went to the regional wine show in Kiama. Here a tasting panel with renowned Australian wine judges got together including winemaker Keith Tulloch as Chairman of Judges, Christian Gaffey, himself winemaker and Wine Selector as well as Judge Bryan Martin, Winemaker at famous Clonakilla & Ravensworth Wines. They gave their best comparing local wines and a selection of participants from the Southern Highlands.
Kiama Wine Show 2009
No one so far could explain to me, how wines from 700m cool climate Highlands could be compared to wines from a distinctly different climate at the South Coast in a regional show- but here you go: the mission for the judging panel was ‘make this judging work on the basis, that the wines compare on distinct ‘international wine levels”.
The results are a repeat of former years and a few big surprises to me- firstly the repeat: Coolangatta Estate won best White Wine with their 2001 Estate Semillon, a great wine without any doubt and for sure one of the outstanding Semillons in the country. Good to have a Hunter Valley expert in Keith Tulloch (his Keith Tulloch Wines are Hunter based) confirm the success of Coolangatta’s flagship again. Owner Greg Bishop was very contempt with its Semillons, he even confirmed to me that the years 2005 and 2006 looked even more promising but needed more time to develop.
The surprises came with the awards for two categories I was having a close eye on: best Red Wine and also Best Wine of the show was awarded to Southern Highlands Wines with their Cabernet Sauvignon and best Pinot Noir was scored by the 2008 Centennial Wines Pinot Noir. I tasted both of them and these results were very much to my surprise to put it mildly. I tasted at least three Pinots at the show that were far superior and had no faults.
The Centennial Pinot tasted foul, even faulty – to its credit the bottle was open for 24 hours when I tried it. Still, a wine under screwcap must hold onto its credentials for more than 24 hours. This Pinot was one I would have not cared to finish the bottle – even if I had bought it myself.
And taking into account, that the judges were asked to apply international standards in this regional show, I have no understanding for the decision to award best red wine (and best wine of the show) to a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Southern Highlands. There is simply no good Cab Sav from this region, most serious winemakers actually pull the plug on this variety these days as the Highland’s climate simply doesn’t work for Cab Savs.
To award a gold medal to the Cabernet Sauvignon from Southern Highlands Wines is an absolute disgrace for all Cab Savs from Coonawarra, McLaren Vale or Barossa, that scored less in other shows. These judges must have smoked good stuff when they made this call, sorry guys.
But this is wine judging in Australia – sometimes you have to ask yourself how these results come up. Let me put one thing straight: my opinion of no good Cab Sav from the Southern Highlands stands and if this particular winery uses grapes from other regions, than this wine shouldn’t have been entered in the regional show. A good judge should figure this out.
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In der letzten Woche war ich endlich einmal auf einer der vielen kleineren, regionalen Weinshows zu Besuch. Die regionale Wine Show in Kiama brachte in diesem Jahr neben einem wiederholten weissen Gewinner zwei dicke Ueberraschungen als bestem Wein der Show und bestem Pinot Noir. Jene beiden Entscheidungen lassen mich diese regionale Show eher ein wenig belaecheln, einer der Wine Makers vor Ort urteilte: well, there is another show next week. Den Besuch in Kiama werde ich mir naechstes Jahr allerdings schenken.
Ihr Michael Brecht
