Cloudwine Newsletter
766 Burke Rd, Camberwell
Dendy Shopping Centre, Church Street, Brighton
317 Clarendon St, South Melbourne
ed#1 May 2006
Hi folks!
People are talking. You read about it in the papers, listen to it on the radio and watch it on the TV. Visit the wineries and it will inevitability come up in discussion. There is a wine glut in the wine industry and the only winner is the wine drinker! So, what a good time to release the latest Quality Quaffers newsletter. This time, each wine is $16 or less and we've put a dozen deal together too, which features one bottle of each wine listed in this newsletter at a discount!
On our forum this week: A small article about the wine glut which appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser. Checkout it out here: http://www.cloudwine.com.au/global/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=470
Happy Drinking!
Chris, Jacinta and Stew
The Cloudwine Team
On Tasting this weekend
Tasting Times
South Melbourne: 12pm- 2pm
Camberwell: 12pm- 2pm
Brighton: 5pm- Close
Wines on Tasting
Geppetto Sangiovese 2004
Tallis Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Tallis Shiraz 2003
Tallis Viognier 2004
Single Bottle Price: $16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Caledonia Australis "Mount MacLeod" Chardonnay 2003
Winner! Caledonia Australis wins best Victorian Chardonnay for 2003 Mount MacLeod Chardonnay in the Federation Square Show Case Series 2004/05 Awards.
Caledonia Australis is among the top cool climate producers in Australia. They wines are consistently highly rated, year in, year out by many critics. Their winemaker is Martin William (master of wine) and he is also arguably Australia's leading cool climate winemaker. Martin has extensive experience in Australia, US and Burgundy. In 1999 Martin was awarded the very prestigious Master of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine located in London.
"Mount MacLoed" is the entry level wine of Caledonia Australis, but this is no means a second rate wine. It has the pedigree- the region, the vineyards and the winemaker. Now the proof is in the pudding - it was voted the best Victorian Chardonnay at the 2004/2005 Federation Square Show Case Awards.
Tasting notes
"The wine has a bright lemon-straw colour with an aroma of ripe melon and apple/pear fruit balanced by subtle complexity from barrel fermentation in older French oak, and extended yeast lees contact. The result is a rich, harmonious Chardonnay with varietal purity and savoury overtones. Medium-bodied, rich in flavour and long on the palate, this wine shows the great strength of character for which Gippsland Chardonnay is renowned. Ripe fruit flavours are balanced by secondary complexity, the oak flavours are subtle and savoury, and the wine finishes with clean acidity." Taken from the winery.
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Single Bottle Price:
$16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Vinrock Grenache 2004
"Terrific quaffer...and you just want to keep drinking it"
Vinrock is a winery in it's infancy but is making wine beyond its years! The vineyard is situated in the McLaren Vale Wine Region and began growing grapes in 1998. There are only 2 varieties grown- Shiraz and Grenache and up until just recently, all the grapes were sold to Tatachilla Wines.
The vineyard's contract with Tatchilla wines ended in 2004, so the winery now keeps part of the fruit for its own wine, with a focus on producing premium wine for its own label - Vinrock. The name Vinrock comes from the limestone (rock) characteristic of the soil which creates excellent draining qualities, together with the name vine (vin).
Vinrock’s first vintage was the 2004, which produced a Shiraz and a Grenache both of straight variety. The wine is made at Serafino Winery in McLaren Vale under the eye of winemaker Scott Rawlinson, who has produced a number of award winning wines- the 2003 Serafino Shiraz is also available at Cloudwine for $24. That particular wine won: Trophy - Best Shiraz of Show- Royal Perth Show 2005, Trophy - Best Dry Red New Zealand International Wine Show 2005, Gold Medal - Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2005, Gold Medal - Royal Perth Wine Show 2006, Blue Gold Medal -Sydney International Wine Show 2006). But that's enough about Serafino, let's talk about Vinrock Grenache 2004...
What the experts think
"Terrific quaffer. Sweet raspberries and boysenberries and spice, all kept tidy by fine-grained tannins and chewy, fleshy fruit. The acid’s very soft, it’s fragrant and fruity, and you just want to keep drinking it. Drink: 2006-2007." Winefront Monthly Feb 2006
"4 stars. Deep purple hues. Powerful nose: rich and meaty with nice mulberry aromas. Big and spicy palate-huge mouthfuls of ripe fruit,smoky oak and great acid backbone." Wine State Magazine
Single Bottle Price: $13
Dozen Bottle Price: $12.50
James Halliday "Ten of the Best New Wineries 2006"
You might remember Brini from our James Halliday newsletter, it was the Brini Blewitt Springs Shiraz 2002 which Halliday rated equal third best shiraz in Australia on 95 points and which we retail for just $18. Well, the winery has done it again- released another "super-quaffer" wine under their second label, Tiller Koota Gra for just $13.
As James Halliday wrote in his book, "The Brini family has been growing grapes in McLaren Vale for over 50 years, but it was not until 2000 that brothers John and Marcello Brini decided to have part of the production from the oldest vines vinified under the Brini Estates label. District veteran Brian Light has made a serious of quite wonderful wines."
What not to expect...
Don't expect a light, flavour-less merlot, that's for sure. This wine is bursting with fruit & flavours. The wine is predominantly Merot, of which the earthy berry fruits are noticeable on the front palate. But there's a "splash" of Grenache added, which really livens the wine up. It give provides the backbone, smooth tannins and a chocolaty finish. An excellent quaffer over the Winter months.
Single Bottle Price:
$16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Chrismont Pinot Grigio 2005
"This King Valley maker has captured the delicacy and lightly floral nature of the grape."
We've featured Chrismont a few times in past newsletters and we'll continue to feature their range as long as they keep producing wines of high quality at affordable prices!
The Chrismont family originally took up digs in the King Valley as tobacco farmers, way back in the hippy 60s! In fact, most of the King Valley was devoted to the tobacco production until the government had a change of heart about the impact on the heart from smoking.
For the last 20 or so years, the family, and much of their King Valley peers, has directed agricultural activities towards the production of wines.
Chrismont’s La Zona range focuses on Italian varieties.
In the press
"This King Valley maker has captured the delicacy
and lightly floral nature of the grape. Hints of spice and wildflowers to
sniff; a touch of grapey sweetness makes for a soft, easy drinking,
user-friendly palate." top aussie
white.
HUON HOOKE in Sydney Morning Herald, February 28 2006
Single Bottle Price: $16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
In our previous newsletter we featured Longwood's Old Vineyard Reserve Shiraz 2003, which is an excellent example of the variety from Strathbogie. Today we feature their "Lemon Grove" Shiraz, another excellent expression of a cool climate Shiraz at a very affordable price.
The winery started out in 1969 by Andrew Cameron in response to a challenged to plant some vines and make a decent red. Viticultural dreams were obviously a bit easier to fulfil in the sixties with Andrew taking up the challenge and releasing his first wine in 1972.
Fast forwarding to the modern day, Longwood recently won a trophy for the best medium-bodied red wine at the Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region Show 2004.
The judges, including Stephen and Prue Henshke of ‘Hill of Grace’ fame, described the wine as follows:
“Palate is amazing. A really good example of cool-climate Shiraz. Plum and cherry with hints of darker fruit. Fantastic texture. Earthy and complex.” So what's the bad part? There are only 300 cases of this wine made :(
Trophy
For the best medium-bodied red wine
Strathbogie Ranges Wine Region Show 2004
Single Bottle Price: $16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Geppetto Sangiovese 2004
The new winery of Garry Crittenden of Dromana fame!
Garry Crittenden is famous for founding & been the chief winemaker of the renowned Dromana Estate, now a publicly-listed company & recognised world-wide (his son is now the winemaker of Dramana!). Garry himself is personally recognised as a pioneer of the Australian wine industry. Consider this," says Garry: "When I planted my first five acres of vines on my property here in Harrisons Road, I doubled the existing total area of vines planted on the Mornington Peninsula at that time. Today there are in excess of 2500 acres planted".
But Garry has now returned as a dedicated small scale vigneron with an exciting new series of handcrafted wines where production is measured in hundreds, not thousands, of cases, under the Geppetto label. He makes various wines including Sangiovese, of which 446 cases were made. The grapes are contract grown by Otto and Michael Dalzotto in Victoria's King Valley, arguably the place most suited to Italian varieties in the whole of Australia.
Gary Crittendon thoughts on this wine...
"The distinguishing character of the Sangiovese palate, in my view at least, should be one of savouryness followed by bitter (Morello) cherries. This wine, although lighter in colour than many other red grape varieties, still has medium density and hue. There is no “sweetness” on the mid palate such as you might expect from Pinot Noir. The finish is admirably long and tart with that refreshing spine of acidity. Goes so well with many Italian dishes!"
Single Bottle Price: $16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Black Estate Shiraz 2003
Black Estate is a new, family owned business based in the Bendigo region. To their credit, the Black folk have priced their shiraz very keenly in order to crack the wine market and make an impact in the local scene.
Good things come to those who wait. Black Estate planted 2 acres of shiraz in 1999. Rather than "rush" the vines to production, they allowed them to develop a sound trunk and arm structure before sourcing their fruit for wines., hence this could be part of the reason the quality of this wine outstrips it's price!
A bit of interesting history
The site on which the vineyard now sits was first planted around 1860 by
three German immigrants. They developed a substantial vineyard and
winery operation called "Hercynia Vineyard" which became the largest single
site vineyard in the Bendigo region. The Hercynia Vineyard wines
received broad acclaim for their quality in the 1880's, winning a number
of international wine shows and local gold medals (the gold medals were
made of real gold in those days). But, the dreaded Phylloxera vine
insect brought an end to the vineyard in 1893, and it has remained
"wine-free" until Black Estate arrived in 1997.
Winery Impressions
This wine was made in the middle of the drought- the vineyard received only about 1/3rd of the normal average rainfall. The berries were very small and yields were quite low. As a result of the extremely dry season, this wine shows more intense characteristics - hints of blackberry and raspberry on the nose, with chocolate and liquorice edges. The mouth feel is quite full and savoury, with balanced tannins and fruit. The 2003 shiraz is drinking very well now, but will benefit from further cellaring.
Single Bottle Price: $15
Dozen Bottle Price: $14.34
It is clear the wine glut has a material impact on new wineries, forcing young labels to be ultra price competitive at the wholesale level to get a look in on the retail shelf. Consumers get good wine at reduced prices and Ngamudji (pronounced Na-mud-ji) is a good example. The 2002 pinot is the winery’s debut release for Ngamudji, a winery located in Yarra Valley that's right next door to the famous Yeringberg winery (they actually share a fence). Ngamudji is owned & managed by Bruce Lang. It's a part-time gig with a full-time commitment to producing well-priced and well-made wine. Well-made it is too, because in charge of winemaking is the famed Martin Williams, which we have described in more detail in the Caledonia Australis Mount MacLeod Chardonnay discussion below.
Another promising aspect of the winery is that it is not a one-hit wonder, Bruce has owned various vineyards for over 30 years now and this vineyard located in Yarra Valley was planted over 15 years ago with newer vines planted about 10 years ago. The wine now has 4 years of bottle age and is really hitting its straps.
Oh, and the name? Ngamudji comes from the local aboriginal language and literally means bright red colours at sunset….
Tasting note by Martin Williams
Appearance: Vibrant cherry/ruby in colour.
Nose: Intense, ripe cherry/raspberry fruit is supported by hints
of violets, spice and forest -floor. French-oak vanillan complements the
complex fruit-derived aromas in this promising Yarra Valley Pinot from
the fine 2002 vintage.
Palate: Mid-weight on the palate, the wine displays juicy berry
fruit flavours and harmonious oak. The persistent palate finishes with
fine tannins and clean acidity, which in combination with complexity of
flavours, promises well for the wine's future development.
Single Bottle Price:
$15
Dozen Bottle Price: $14
We have been particularly impressed with Swings and Roundabouts in recent times with their impressive wine and impressive prices! All wines in the range are $16 or less and are delightful to drink! Today we offer their Semillon Sauvignon Blanc from Margaret River, Australia's premier region for this particular blend.
Mark Lane runs the show and he found his way to Margaret River in a roundabout way. For a while he made cheese in Melbourne (another good occupation), but developed an interest in wine and consequently gained winemaking apprenticeships in the Yarra Valley with Tarrawarra and Eyton-on-Yarra, before making the trek west to take up the Chief Winemaker responsibilities with several wineries and has developed a reputation as one of Margaret River's leading winemakers. Now he is on his own, making wine for his own labels, one of them being Swings & Roundabouts.
Press?
"...is a lean, dry style. A delicate aroma of citrus and clover, not a lot of tropical fruit as you may expect. The wine is clean, soft and delicate on the finish, perfectly inoffensive for the new wine drinker and a great match with asparagus" Sydney Weekly Courier. 18/1/06
Single Bottle Price:
$14
Dozen Bottle Price: $13.50
Chalk Hill Cabernet Shiraz "Sidetrack" 2004
James Halliday: "Chalk Hill is in full flight again"
In 1995, Jock & Di Harvey purchased Chalk Hill as a neglected and run down proposition. One week is a long time in football and ten years is an awful long time in the wine industry (who could have imagined a wine glut 10 years ago!!). In this time, the Harvey's have achieved a lot and as James Halliday commented in his last wine companion, "Chalk Hill is in full flight again". The wines are new world and they sell all over the world and Cloudwine is pleased to offer their range in our stores in Melbourne (and across the web via our website).
The original vineyard was established in 1973 in the heart of McLaren Vale, one of Australia’s most famous wine regions. They have revamped their label and improved their wine with the assistance of Emmanuelle Requin-Bekkers, an experienced French winemaker.
Tasting impressions
"This
is fruit from the priceless old Chalk Hill vineyards, from the cab and
shiraz barrels which didn't quite make the premium cut. Wee Jock Harvey
reckons he's named it after his dad's propensity to get sidetracked. If
I had a stack of this in my cellar, I'd be happily sidetracked most of
the time, too. It's a trap in the late afternoon. Cheese, chops;
anything, really. Cheap!" PHILLIP WHITE The Advertiser, 2005
"Selected parcels of Shiraz were blended with wine from the old Cabernet Sauvignon vines at Chalk Hill to create a wine with generous fruit characters. The use of old and new French oak is subtle on the mid palate and is well integrated with the fine tannins. The wine is deep red in colour, well balanced and easy to drink." Winery notes.
Also...save Australia's rarest cockatoo...
For each bottle of wine Chalk Hill sell, 25 cents will be donated to the Glossy Black Cockatoo Project to help save Australia’s rarest cockatoo from extinction. The Glossy Black is listed as critically endangered. It is estimated that only 260 of these shy birds survive in the wild, whereas once they were widespread throughout South Australia.
Single Bottle Price:
$16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Cloudwine has done a deal!
All wines in this newsletter are $16 or less. Tallis Cabernet Sauvignon usually retails for $18, but the good folk at Tallis have agreed to reduce the price of their wine so that it can be included in Quality Quaffers, making it even better value for money!
The story so far..
After 100 years of nothing, the Dookie Hills are once again producing wine from the Tallis family vineyard!! Not much wine though, just 750 cases per year, which is in stark contrast to it's former glory days. Dookie was first recognized as a wine region in the late 1800’s and at its peak produced one third of Victoria’s wine.
History books tell of a prosperous wine industry which flourished in the early days of Dookie, and of celebrations at the annual wine ball held on their property in a vast, and still undiscovered, hidden cellar buried beneath the Dookie Hills.
Fast forward 100 years and enter the Tallis family, which re-started the wine region in 1998 when they planted 24ha of vines, including Shiraz, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Merlot and Viognier. The results are very encouraging too...
Tasting impressions
"Good flavour, good colour, deft oak handling and enough twiggy character to keep it firmly varietal – within the context that it’s pure and ripe and attractively coffeed/curranty. Again, lovely acidity. " The Winefront
"Light to medium red & blackcurrant fruit; fine tannins, minimal oak." James Halliday
"This is a fresh wine reflecting the youth and vibrancy of our vineyard. It exhibits sweet, blackberry fruit and subtle oak aromas. The palate is fine and well structured and will reward short term cellaring" The winery
Single Bottle Price: $16
Dozen Bottle Price: $15
Adelaide Advertiser Top 100 Top 100 wine for $16!
2005 was another great vintage for Riesling in Clare Valley with a cooler than average ripening season producing wonderful intense flavours. Jeanneret’s effort is among the pick of the bunch - selected in Phillip White's Adelaide Advertiser Top 100, not a tough ask when you are the equal top-scoring wine! This is great news for the small, family-owned and operated winery run by Ben and Carissa Jeanneret, one of the industry’s nicest couples. They source the fruit for their Riesling from a high quality grower with 35 y.o. low yielding vines. Normally retailing for $18, we've managed to squeeze it into the quality quaffer newsletter by twisting the wholesaler’s rubber arm.
Phillip White, Adelaide Advertiser Top 100 21 November 2005: "None of the fruit used to make this wine has been irrigated with Murray River water, says the back label. Pity more Clare and Barossa can't boast that. This is a bright, zappy, brilliantly elegant and intense wine. It has lovely honey and buerre blanc flavours, leading off into a languorous, gently tapering finish of pristine acidity. Beautiful. 94 points."
Max Allen, The Weekend Australian, 22 April 2006: "The 2005 vintage produced some crackerjack Rieslings in South Australia's Clare Valley, with intensity and purity of fruit flavours being a hallmark of many. This great-value example is a little riper, fuller and lime-juicier than some other Rieslings in the region, and is sensational when drunk with pan-fried whiting fillets and a tangy, herby mayonnaise."
Prior Newsletter offers still available at Cloudwine
Gill's Journal
Quality quaffing with budget bites!
Now the term ‘quaffers’ may conjure up images of merrily glugging wine by itself without much thought and without the need for food but some of the wines featured in this newsletter are great accompaniments to everyday dishes. When I read reviews that include food and wine matches I’m always pleased to get information on the types of food the reviewer thinks will go well with the wine but sometimes I think we get a bit carried away always matching wine with really exotic dishes like ‘duck neck sausage stuffed with venison and wild rabbit.’ Gee – I cook that regularly! Wine and food matching is all about creating a balance on the palate, the ‘weightiness’ of the wine and the food should be in equal proportion, neither dominating. When it comes to the flavour you have two options to either ‘compliment’ or ‘contrast’. Complimentary matches are like the classic Pinot Noir with duck, both wine and meat are lighter styles both with an underlying ‘earthy’ quality which works well together. For me the most breathtaking contrasting match has to be a stickie sipped with a good blue cheese. Individually I’m not a huge fan of dessert wine or blue cheese but together they are a match made in heaven. Both the cheese and wine are transformed. The salty, sweet sensation that travels over the tongue might not sound appealing but give it a go, the cheese becomes fruitier and its richness is counteracted by the sweetness of the wine. It is quite amazing.
Now once you get the principles of food and wine matching you can apply them just as well with everyday food and everyday wine. Because we like drinking and eating everyday, right? Take for example the Jeanneret Clare Valley Riesling with that racey acidity and citrus flavour. A lighter style white wine which is often matched with Oysters but consider this instead: fish and chips. Yes fish and chips actually works incredibly well with Riesling as fish is a lighter style of food and the crisp acidity of the wine will cut through the fat in the batter and the chips contrasting well. As for the citrus flavours in the wine well don’t we all like a squeeze of lemon on our fish?
If the thought of cooking duck frightens you as much as it does me but you like your Pinot noir (and the Ngamudji is a great example) think about trying it with a bowl of home made mushroom soup. Mushrooms, especially big flat ones can have very meaty, earthy flavours which will compliment the earthy, savoury characters of this grape variety.
Getting the picture? Here are some other suggestions for you; The Tallis Cabernet Sauvignon works fabulously well with Steak and Kidney pie. It’s a big bold wine with a hearty meat dish. Ever wondered what to drink with Sangiovese? Jacinta likes to pair it with her homemade pitta bread pizza (as a lunch time treat). Italian grape varieties usually go well with Italian food, funny that! And forget the white wine with fish, red wine with meat rule as one of the best matches to be had is an oaky Chardonnay like Mount McLeod together with roast chicken – the toasty, woody flavours in both were made for one another. And remember, traditionally wine was made to partner food, this was the purpose of its existence. Quaffing is a very modern invention!
Cloudwine Wine Course – South Melbourne
Wine amongst the Art - Cloudwine Cellars is now taking bookings for its next wine appreciation course which will be held at GalleryM (http://www.gallerym.com.au) in South Melbourne. You can admire the beautiful artwork whilst you learn about wine! This course starts Tuesday 16th of May and runs for 6 weeks (2 hours/one evening per week). Fun, informative and featuring fantastic wine. For more information contact gill@cloudwine.com.au or call Gill on 9882 0954.
Stewart Went, Jacinta & Chris Plazzer
Cloudwine Cellars
317 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne 3205
766 Burke Road, Camberwell 3124
Dendy Plaza (right next to Coles Supermarket), 24 Church Street,
Brighton 3186
email:
sales@cloudwine.com.au
ph: 03 9699 6700 (South Melbourne)
ph: 03 9882 0954 (Camberwell)
ph: 03 9553 8416 (Brighton)
ABN: 96 090 706 853