DEGUSTATION FOR DIGNITY 2014 - THE WINE LINE-UP AND TASTING NOTES
Wineries support Degustation for Dignity by donating wine to be served at the event, and matched to donated dishes. Matthew Jukes tastes the wine and food, and matches courses for our guests in a tasting masterclass. We thank these donors for their generous support of our fundraising event.
2012 Art of War, The General Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Ignore the lack of much-needed parental guidance requirements on the label and concentrate on the epic fruit in the glass – this is one of the most raucous and expressive Shiraz in the country, with its plum and dark chocolate fruit and combative, macho tannins. You must cook up a carnivorous feast to stand any chance of surviving an appointment with The General. Winemaker: Kym Teusner Online: $30.00 each, minimum order of 6 bottles www.vinomofo.com |
NV Bisou Bisou, Blanc de Blancs, Yarra Valley, Victoria
With green apple crispness and vibrant tangy fruit, this awesome-looking fizz should be the first wine you serve for your friends when they walk in the door because, of course, Bisou Bisou means Kiss Kiss. Once the formalities are over you can get down to the real business of enjoying this titillating, vivacious little number. Online: $15.00 each, minimum order of 6 bottles www.vinomofo.com |
2012 Blue Pyrenees, Shiraz, Pyrenees, Western Victoria
I love the blueberry and cinnamon nose on this spicy, bold wine. This is a structured red with dusty tannins and balanced oak and even though it tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol the fruit is red-tinged and not black. 2012 is a superb vintage and this will age slowly for up to a decade, but you are welcome to open a bottle now because the balance is already superb. Winemaker: Andrew Koerner Cellar Door: $20.00 www.bluepyrenees.com.au |
2014 Brash Higgins, R/SM, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Winemaker Brad Hickey is an informed maverick, breaking the rules for all the right reasons with this wine. Picking this ‘field blend’ of Riesling and Semillon, basket-pressing the fruit and then co-fermenting it, this is a unique vinous offering which asks serious questions of your senses. In answering these you discover the mind-bending truth that there are more wine flavours out there than you ever thought possible. So hand your palate to Brash Higgins wines and they will do the rest. Winemaker: Brad Hickey Cellar Door: $37.00 www.brashhiggins.com |
2010 Brodie Estate, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, New Zealand
A rogue New Zealand Pinot in our line up shows not only how important the Martinborough region is in the greater scheme of things but also just how different these wines are to the offerings from Victoria and Tasmania. Silky, mouth-coating and expressively oaky, this is a rich, decadent Pinot with a passion for game, in particular duck and venison! Winemaker: James Walker www.roguewines.com.au |
NV Brown Brothers, Pinot Noir / Chardonnay / Pinot Meunier, King Valley, Victoria
This wine is one of the reasons why I look forward to doing this event every year because not only is it Australia’s most awarded sparkling wine, it is also not sold in the UK, and so I get to enjoy several glasses during my visit! The class, complexity and elegance in this glass is astounding. It’s nice to see Pinot Meunier in the blend bringing genuine Champagne credibility to an already magnificent creation. Winemaker: Cate Looney Cellar Door: $25.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2014 Brown Brothers, Explorer Series Chenin Blanc, Victoria
With some spritz on the palate you can immediately sense that this is a bright, forward-drinking, crowd-pleasing wine with no pretensions whatsoever. The grassy, citrus and green melon fruit is engaging and light-hearted and it will refresh you in an instant. Winemaker: Geoff Alexander Cellar Door: $14.10 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2014 Brown Brothers, 18 Eighty Nine Sauvignon Blanc, Tasmania
This brand new creation from Brown Brothers shocked my palate back in May when I tasted a very early sample and I was so moved with its impact and energy that I felt compelled to mention it in my annual 100 Best Australian Wines initiative. It’s important to acknowledge that Australia, no matter which way you cut it, is not true Sauvignon territory. But Tasmania’s cool climate, coupled with the unquenchable enthusiasm from the Brown Brothers wine wizards has meant that this delightful creation should by all rights prevent you from buying a single bottle of Marlborough Savvy this year! Winemaker: Tom Wallace Cellar Door: $18.80 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2012 Brown Brothers, Ten Acres Shiraz, Heathcote, Victoria
The trademark Heathcote leather and spice notes are all over this new wine from Brown Brothers and it shows jut how exciting Heathcote can be in the right hands. Drink it with big, bold meaty dishes with gravy and herbs and you will be in seventh heaven. Winemaker: Chloe Earl Cellar Door: $30.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2010 Chandon, Les Trois Rosé, Australia
The three rosés mentioned in the name of this wine refer to grapes sourced from the wonderful cool climates of Tasmania, Yarra Valley, and Whitlands Plateau. The ‘layering’ of flavours in this impossibly pale rosé is typically astute given that most wines of this style have only one theme on the go. In addition to the wild strawberry and cherry blossom notes, the faint aromas of patisserie and hazelnuts give this astounding creation beguiling weight and thrilling food-matching possibilities. Winemaker: Dan Buckle Cellar Door: $55.00 www.chandon.com.au |
2012 Coates The Iberian, McLaren Vale & Langhorne Creek, South Australia
This fascinating red wine is made from no less than seven varieties hailing from Portugal, Spain and the South of France. It is no surprise that the beautiful climate in South Australia suits these lusty grapes well and so the name, the Iberian, referring to the mass of land on the southern side of the Pyrenees is a clue to the flavours inside the bottle. Spice and leather joust with heady red and black fruit notes making for non-stop action in the glass. Winemaker: Duane Coates www.roguewines.com.au |
2013 Coldstream Hills, Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Coldstream Hills wines always show restraint and composure unlike some of the bigger, bolder brands on the market. This means that you should avoid swamping this wine with ungainly dishes and excess spice and stick to high quality plain grilled fish or crustacea. This allows the wine to work its magic, subtly charming your taste buds and wooing your senses. Winemaker: Andrew Fleming Cellar Door: $34.99 www.coldstreamhills.com.au |
2013 Delatite Estate, Pinot Gris, Mansfield, Victoria
The top PG at Delatite is a very seductive wine which draws its energy and depth of flavour from subtle use of oak barrels and wild yeasts. This build flavour gently in the wine and gives it a succulence and creaminess which reminds me of some of the wines from Alsace in France. An intellectual and thought-provoking wine, this is a wonderful creation. Winemakers: Andy Browning and David Ritchie Cellar Door: $25.00 www.delatitewinery.com.au |
2013 Delatite, High Ground Pinot Grigio, Mansfield, Victoria
It’s so nice to see a bright, light, 12.5% PG on the market instead of a rich, oily style because this grape needs freshness and lift on the nose and palate to perform at its highest level. High Ground is a floral, refreshing wine with trademark Victorian freshness and it is this lust for life which makes it so remarkable. Winemakers: Andy Browning and David Ritchie Cellar Door: $20.00 www.delatitewinery.com.au |
2009 Delatite, Estate Shiraz, Mansfield, Victoria
The use of both French and American oak barrels as given this wine a savoury and also sweet component to its Shiraz fruit and this makes the nose complex and dark. You need a hearty carnivorous dish with this mighty wine but not because it is a heavyweight. It is the density of flavour rather than the alcohol which demands respect. Winemakers: Andy Browning and David Ritchie Cellar Door: $30.00 www.delatitewinery.com.au |
2012 Delatite, High Ground Shiraz, Mansfield, Victoria
I love the fact that Victorian Shiraz shows more earthiness and spice than it does alcohol and sun-baked fruit notes and this means that these red wines can be refreshing and able to be drunk with so many more dishes than expected! High Ground is an expressive, summer pudding scented wine with crunchy minerality where you might expect to find tannin! This is why it is so appealing. Winemakers: Andy Browning and David Ritchie Cellar Door: $25.00 www.delatitewinery.com.au |
2013 Devil's Corner, Pinot Noir, Tasmania
The Devil’s Corner range from Tamar Ridge is nothing short of a triumph. This wine and its Riesling sibling made my 100 Best Australian Wines list for 2014/15. This is unprecedented for an inexpensive range. This Pinot is practically the only entry level wine from Tasmania that delivers the true essence of both the variety and its vineyards. These days you are more likely to see wines at double the price with little of the charm and authenticity that Devil’s has in spades. Winemakers: Tom Wallace Cellar Door: $22.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2013 Fowles Wine, Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Riesling, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria
I have long been a fan of this raspy, lime-pith Riesling with its chalky minerality and lemon balm mid-palate. While many would drink this as a palate-electrifying aperitif, I prefer to employ its latent power to cut through tricky dishes. Asian fusion, perfumed Vietnamese, creamy coconut curries and any dish with the dreaded caper involved will bow at its feet. While this estate is justly famous for its red wines, the Rieslings are utterly thrilling, too. Winemakers: Victor Nash and Lindsay Brown Cellar Door: $34.95 www.fowleswine.com |
2012 Fowles Wine, Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria
The peppery nose and fine, lithe blackberry-soaked palate mark this out as a true Victorian Shiraz, bursting with life and freshness. This style of Shiraz is wowing the world with its freshness and herbal tang and it presents a totally different message to the dark, brooding wines over the border in SA. Winemakers: Victor Nash and Lindsay Brown Cellar Door: $34.95 www.fowleswine.com |
2011 Kooyong, Meres Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
2011 was the most challenging vintage in the last ten years in Mornington, not least because of the unwelcome thunderstorms which played havoc with Pinot bunches. Only a handful of wineries made truly awesome wines and Sandro Mosele at Kooyong showed us all why his wines are so rare and sought after because he not only nailed the wines, he also gave us aromas and flavours which enchant the senses. With delicate wild cherry nuances and refreshing, tangy acidity this is a beautiful creation worth treasuring. Winemaker: Sandro Mosele Cellar Door: $75.00 www.portphillipestate.com.au |
2014 La Bohème, Act Two Pinot Noir Rosé, Yarra Valley, Victoria
De Bortoli’s La Bohème Pinot Rosé is an essential fine dining wine particularly if you are partial to spicy, curried or wasabi-spiked dishes. Seemingly elegant on the nose and demure on the palate this innocent looking rosé hides a core of steel which allows it to marshal complex flavours with ease. I love this wine so much that I have already listed it in my Daily Mail column in the UK as my Wine of the Week. Winemaker: Steve Webber Cellar Door: $20.00 www.debortoli.com.au |
2012 Ocean Eight, Verve Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
This is categorically one of my favourite Chardonnays in Australia. The finesse and control of the nose and palate are amazing and the slimness and poise throughout the experience are nothing short of mesmeric. Minerality and purity are the watchwords here while oak and power are discreet handled and reverent. Winemaker: Mike Aylward Cellar Door: $50.00 www.oceaneight.com.au |
2012 Ocean Eight, Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
The 2012 vintage Mornington Pinots are marked with an incredible purity of red fruit and Mike Aylward wines are even more intense, scented and hypnotic than the norm. With a seductive palate and incredibly long finish this is one of the finest Ocean Eight wines I have tasted. Its tender 13.2% alcohol means it can be drunk equally accurately with delicious main course fish dishes as it can with an imperial roast chicken. Winemaker: Mike Aylward Cellar Door: $50.00 www.oceaneight.com.au |
NV Pirie, Sparkling Pinot Noir/ Chardonnay, Tasmania
The only difference between the NV and the vintage Pirie wines is one of style. The vintage is noble, rich and complex and this non vintage wine is not lesser in any way, it is just lighter, more immediately gluggable and more citrusy. This is an aperitif style whereas the vintage is foodier. This is an everyday wine whereas the vintage is a special occasion wine. Both are stunning and this is testament to the skill and determination of the team at Pirie – hoorah! Winemaker: Tom Wallace Cellar Door: $30.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2009 Pirie Vintage Sparkling, Tasmania
It never ceases to amaze me just how beautiful the wines from Pirie are. This 2009 vintage, made from Chardonnay and Pinot, shimmers in the glass like a ravishing diva and, as you know, the mark of a great wine is spectacular length of flavour and this wine lingers for minutes. There is no need to drop cash on over-priced and underwhelming Champagne with this wine on the shelves Winemaker: Tom Wallace Cellar Door: $58.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
NV Rococo, Premium Cuvée, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Made from older vintage wines, blended together, with oak ageing, too, to give it depth of flavour and added class, Rococo is a heady, exotic sparkler with a mouth-filling flavour and a distinguished air. I sense a nod to some of the famous prestige Champagnes when I taste this wine and I am very impressed with the results. Winemaker: Steve Webber Cellar Door: $22.00 www.debortoli.com.au |
2013 Rutherglen Estates, Renaissance Viognier / Roussanne / Marsanne, Rutherglen, Victoria
The combination of these three magical, scented and structured white varieties results in a remarkably full-bodies white wines, with enough power and intensity to complement roast pork, chicken and even milk fed lamb dishes. With a luxurious texture and heady perfume combined with youthful energy, Renaissance is a wine which will soften over two or three years and my hot tip for the perfect food and wine matching experience would be a Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. Winemaker: Marc Scalzo Cellar Door: $32.00 www.rutherglenestates.com.au |
2013 Rutherglen Estates, Durif, Rutherglen, Victoria
The liquorice and plum nose on this punchy red is fascinating and it makes you think that the palate is going to be monstrous and overbearing, but in fact you are rewarded with delicious, mouth-watering spice and crunchy tannins which don’t scour the palate, they send you straight back for another sip. Durif is an expressive grape and in the right hands it gives us all wines that work amazingly well with flame grilled steaks – this is one such wine. Winemaker: Marc Scalzo Cellar Door: $24.00 www.rutherglenestates.com.au |
2012 Seppelt, Original Sparkling Shiraz, Victoria
I love this style of wine but I never get to see it in the UK which is such a shame because with over 150 years worth of practice, Seppelt, not surprisingly, nails this style perfectly. With a haunting red cherry and cranberry nose, sleek savoury palate and a hint of strawberry juice on the finish Original is a legendary creation and while most people would drink it with main course I, controversially, adore it with chocolate. Winemaker: Adam Carnaby Cellar Door: $26.99 www.seppelt.com.au |
2013 Seppelt, Chalambar Shiraz, Grampians / Heathcote, Victoria
This is the sixtieth vintage of Chalambar and it already looks amazing in spite of its youth. Granted the tannins are grainy and cheek-sucking but the juicy, liquorice-tinged fruit more than balances them out and it is clear that this is a very important wine indeed. Lay it down for two or thee years and you will have a true classic. Winemaker: Adam Carnaby Cellar Door: $26.99 www.seppelt.com.au |
2011 Stonier KBS Vineyard Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
It is an extraordinary to be able to taste this wine, not least because of its rarity, coming as it does from founder (Kevin) Brian Stonier’s own vineyard. Winemaker Mike Symons manages to capture the true essence of the Mornington Peninsula in this phenomenally regal wine. The oak, which is very much in evidence, is subtle, restrained and yet all-encompassing and the fruit shows wild honey, nectarine and jasmine notes which entrance the senses. Winemaker: Mike Symons Cellar Door: $55.00 www.stonier.com.au |
2012 Tamar Ridge, Pinot Noir, Tasmania
Tamar Ridge continues its transformation with the help of an arty label and an even more evocative Pinot nose and flavour. Succulent, sexy and aromatically enthralling, this is a gorgeous wine just setting out on a five year life and I expect it to gather even more fans as it does so. Winemaker: Tom Wallace Cellar Door: $30.00 www.brownbrothers.com.au |
2014 Tellurian, Viognier, Heathcote, Victoria
This evocative Viognier sits at the greengage and apricot blossom end of the spectrum, as opposed to the powerful peach and honey styles which too often appear on the market. It is this sophistication which marks it out as an elegant, honed creature, but this doesn’t mean that you have to hold back on your cooking with this wine because it is remarkably persistent. It will also age well, so there is not hurry to guzzle this fabulous wine. Winemaker: Tobias Ansted Cellar Door: $27.00 - available early 2015 www.tellurianwines.com.au |
2013 Tellurian, Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre, Heathcote, Victoria
This heroic, triumvirate of red grapes makes fabulously glossy, fruit-driven wines and my favourite trick is to chill them a few degrees to heighten the blueberry and mulberry notes at the same time as slimming down the finish. This means that you can drink the mighty GSM blend with dishes such as Peking duck, rogan josh, Moroccan tajines and even a humble pepperoni pizza! Winemaker: Tobias Ansted Cellar Door: $34.50 - available early 2015 www.tellurianwines.com.au |
2012 Ten Minutes by Tractor, Estate Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
This is a very fine wine indeed with distinguished fruit, epic oak control and a very long finish indeed. I love the way that the message is delivered with such subtlety and control. Nothing is rushed and everything is silky, generous and memorable. Even though this is a fairly young wine it is already into its stride such is the impeccable balance on display. Winemakers: Jeremy Magyar, Richard McIntyre, Martin Spedding Cellar Door: $46.00 www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au |
2013 Ten Minutes by Tractor, 10X Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
I have always been a massive fan of the 10X cuvee at TMbT and the newly released 2013 continues its run of over-delivering with flavour while retaining its competitive price point. The nose is remarkable with dense red berry and cherry notes and a dusting of spice and the palate is still tense with well-balanced oak and also refreshing acidity. This looks great already, but I know that by the middle of 2015 it will have blossomed into a true beauty. Winemakers: Jeremy Magyar, Richard McIntyre, Martin Spedding Cellar Door: $32.00 www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au |
2013 Willunga 100, Grenache, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Grenache is McLaren Vale’s secret weapon grape and this budget offering shows us exactly why. A staggeringly beautiful nose of strawberries and cream s followed by a sleek, sultry palate and a boisterous, ebullient finish. Willunga 100 shows many estates, whose wines are twice the price, how it’s done! Winemakers: Tim James and Kate Day Cellar Door: $22.00 www.willunga100.com |