IS THIS THE CLEANEST WATER IN THE WORLD?

In addition to seeking out the world's finest chocolates for their VinoChoc tasting, Hahndorf Hill also seek out what they believe to be the world's cleanest water as a palate cleanser.

Originating from Tasmania, Cape Grim claims to be the 'cleanest natural water in the known world'. Supposedly the air over their water source travels up from Antarctica, passing over 16,000km of clean sea water and little else. They believe that purity of air equals exceptional water quality.

Cape Grim's back label reads; 'Clean air means clean water. City air purity ranges between 10,000 and 500,000 particles per cubic centimetre. The water in this bottle was collected on days when the air purity was between 0 and 600 particles per cubic centimetre. The smooth, soft characteristics of this water reflect indiscernable levels of naturally evolving salts.'

I'm sitting here drinking it right now and it tastes pretty good to me, but I've never really viewed water in that deep an analytical sense.

THE LANE

The third cellar door I visited in the Adelaide Hills last sunday was The Lane (formerly Ravenswood Lane). I'm going to keep this post fairly brief, because for the second time in as many visits I was disappointed with the range of wines on offer at The Lane.

Although The Lane's flagship reds; the Reunion Shiraz and 19th Meeting Cabernet Sauvignon, both delivered the finest, most elegant and harmonious wines I've had from each respective label from the 2007 vintage, I still believe they're overpriced at $65 each. In fact, I feel most of The Lane's range is overpriced given the track record and recent quality of their wines. There's a $39 chardonnay which is about to be superseded by an even more expensive chardy in the range, 2 bottles of $39 Adelaide Hills shiraz in addition to the Reunion, a $39 viognier, a $39 pinot grigio, a $35 and a $30 sauvignon blanc/semillon as well as a dessert wine with an asking price greater than that of De Bortoli's Noble One. Just because you have a fancy cellar door restaurant with pricey, delectable dishes doesn't mean you have to make wines with a price to match.

The two wines from The Lane which I have enjoyed in recent years, the Gathering Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and the Beginning Chardonnay, both failed to meet my expectations of wines with their respective asking prices. The 2008 Beginning produced another solid if not spectacular chardonnay, with good, ripe melon fruit and cashew nut qualities marked by a smooth, creamy texture, but at $39 it's competing against regional big guns Shaw and Smith, Petaluma and Grosset, when I feel it would be better served competing against the likes of Yalumba's FDW7C, Ashton Hills, Hahndorf Hill, Barratt and Starvedog Lane in the $20-$30 chardonnay class. The wooded 2009 Gathering SBS just seemed to dumb its primary fruit down a bit too much for me, leading to a rather bland and neutral white, which at $35 (same price as Cullen's) isn't a speck on the Margaret River's best. I know the Gathering is capable of better and I will return to the label without question.

One of the more interesting wines available was The Lane's 2008 Pinot Grigio; oily, developing and textured, with a good richness of flavour and ample pear/honey character for the variety, but once again; $39!?

After having said all this I must also mention that there's plenty of good reasons to go up and visit The Lane. The location is absolutely stunning; perched high on a hilltop with sweeping views across the Adelaide Hills, there's hardly a more picturesque spot in the region. The cellar door staff are always smart and friendly, and the extravagant cellar door restaurant is magnificent, one of the best in the Hills (look out Bridgewater Mill!), which leads me to another point; why is the cellar door tasting bench located in the main dining room? About a metre behind us sat a table of roughly 20 diners. It was a busy, full house that day (supposedly sundays require booking 6-8 weeks in advance) and aromatic dishes were flying past us at close range thick and fast. The cellar door hand mentioned she'd learnt every dish by smell alone and every one of my companions also noticed the obvious aromatic distractions. The pork belly in particular had us salivating...

OZ WINE TOONS

LEABROOK ESTATE CABERNET FRANC 2006

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $26

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

In addition to his achievements with the Adelaide Hills 'standards' of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir, Leabrook Estate's very focused Colin Best also produces some rather fascinating takes on red Bordeaux varieties. Lately my pick of Leabrook's lot has been the cabernet franc, which in years like 2005 (92pts) successfully captures the style's distinctive fragrance and lean, dry, dusty qualities.

Leabrook's 2006 Cabernet Franc shows valid green notes of capsicum and dried herbs laid across aromas of blackcurrants, tobacco and ripe cherry in a fruit focused style, although there remains a clean whiff of toasty cedar/vanilla oak residing in the background. Much fuller and more sumptuous than the 2005 release, its generous palate announces a juicy core of vibrant berry flavours which extend with nuances of fresh green capsicum, toasty oak and tobacco. It finishes clean and soft in a charmingly drinkable manner, with a surprisingly creamy extract of ripe tannins balanced by well judged acids and underlined by lingering fruit.

ü This juicy and generously fruited, perhaps typically Australian cabernet franc presents quite a contrast to my recollections of Leabrook's leaner, dry and structured 2005, but having said that it's a success in its own right and only adds to the pleasure I've experienced from this emerging label. Drink to 2013.

90 points

www.leabrookestate.com

ARRAS GRAND VINTAGE 2003

- Tasmania

- $57-$75

- Cork

- 12.5%alc

Australia's most celebrated sparkling wine, Arras, has undergone some significant cosmetic changes leading into its 2003 release. Gone is the Bay of Fires branding, which has been replaced by the House of Arras label, while its new, grandiose squat bottle now adorns a luxuriant gold insignia, making the whole presentation look remarkably similar to some Grand Marque Champagnes.

Fizzing away in the glass with racy, crackly and stringy bead, the pale-gold 2003 Arras opens to intense, openly fragrant, rich and creamy aromas of nougat, creme brulee and almond meal overlying notes of bakery yeast and white nectarine. Despite its rather obvious winemaker influence the nose shows real vitality, freshness and a synergy of man and nature. Notably deep and complex by Australian standards, the palate unloads a quirky combination of sweet-toned savoury notes, which ride with layer upon layer of chewy richness and citric effervescence. In fact, as it penetrates with a luscious undercarriage of sweet bread, honey and almond flavours topped off by a long wash of sparkling grapefruit-like acids, it's evident the substantial richness and weight of this wine contrasts that of other tighter, finer Arras wines.

ü It's not the best Australian bubbles I've had (that honour still belongs to the 2001 Arras-96pts), but it does reflect what could be a change in direction towards something more profound, rich and complex from the masterful Ed Carr. Drink to 2013.

94 points

www.houseofarras.com.au

ARRAS: AN EVOLUTION IN DESIGN

CRAWFORD RIVER RIESLING 2009

- Henty, VIC

- $33-$39

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

Crawford River's iconic riesling sits proudly alongside the 2 Grosset rieslings and Petaluma's Hanlin Hill as the only rieslings included in Langton's Classification of Australian Wine IV. Perhaps this is but one indication Langton's 2005 classification is beginning to show its age, because I for one believe that across recent vintages Crawford River's reputation as Henty's benchmark has been seriously challenged by the exquisite Seppelt Drumborg.

Made from a vineyard established in 1975, Crawford River's 2009 Riesling reveals a tight, mineral nose of white flowers and grapefruit augmented by impressive wet slate aspects and unexpected creamy undertones. Underpinned by ripe, sweet fruit nuances, its clear palate delivers a full, rich and luscious expression of white stonefruits and minerals with a truly opulent texture for young riesling, but thankfully, a clean and timely wash of refreshingly soft, chalky lemony-citric acids neatly balances its lengthy conclusion.

ü There's so much to like here. With a lusciously textured richness of ripe yet clear varietal fruit harnessed by soft, refreshing acids, this flies in the face of Australian convention. A great Crawford. Drink to 2017.

93 points

www.crawfordriverwines.com

DEVIL'S LAIR FIFTH LEG RED 2008

(Shiraz/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon)

- Western Australia

- $11-$22

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

A Foster's rep told me on the weekend the 2008 Fifth Leg red is sourced exclusively from the Margaret River, however, I'm not entirely sure I believed her. There have been times when the Fifth Leg red has been labelled as Margaret River, but recent releases have carried the broader Western Australia tag (such as the 2007 which I know was sourced from at least both Margaret River and Geographe). Still, it's all quite impertinent for a $12 wine, isn't it?

The 2008 Fifth Leg is leafy, but perhaps more like Margaret River-shiraz tomato bush than Margaret River-cabernet tobacco leaf, with thinly veiled scents of cherry and blackcurrant partnered by a sniff of spice and an oak influence which sits slightly above its fruit at this young stage. Medium in body, the fractionally loose and hollow yet soft and approachable palate contains youthful, vibrant berry and spicy red cherry flavours touched by creamy oak. Its long finish is drawn out significantly more by lively acids than tannin, which allows a faint metallic edge to make itself apparent at the final climax.

O Compared to the superb, finer 2005 (91pts) this is much more of a softer, quaffing style WA blend and a reasonably good one at that (especially for $12). Just add commercial grade pizza. Drink to 2013.

88 points

www.fifthleg.com.au

CULLEN CULLEN VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON 2009

- Margaret River, WA

- $29-$38

- Screwcap

- 11.5%alc

In my opinion Cullen's pair of bio-dynamically produced, wooded sauvignon blanc/semillon blends are Australia's best. The 2009 Cullen Vineyard is a 70/30 blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, of which, 70% spent 4 months in new French oak (3 months oak is more common for the wine but Cullen deemed the 2009's fruit quality to be of an exceptional standard).

With true delicacy and poise, Cullen's 2009 sends up a carefully refined bouquet of clean, toasty/nutty oak, lemon infused mineral, green pea and brine. Pleasingly racy yet full and sumptuous, its pristine palate shows a cleverly judged balance of mineral, citrus and lightly smoked, creamy vanilla oak flavours, with any indication of sauvignon blanc's often predictable, pungent, simple tropical fruit flavours kept well at bay. Despite being quite rich and perhaps even fat through the middle section, the wine finishes fine and dry with refreshingly chalky acids underscored by penetrative notes of lemon, grapefruit and brine, which push deep into the aftertaste with wonderful definition.

ü+ Typical of the label, the 2009 Cullen Vineyard is a rare, intelligent, thinking person's sauvignon blanc blend, which would benefit considerably from a short stint in the cellar. I'd love to see more Australian wineries interpret the blend this way. Brilliant. Drink 2012-2015.

95 points

www.cullenwines.com.au

SHAW VINEYARD ESTATE PREMIUM CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008

- Canberra District

- $25

- Screwcap

- 14.3%alc

As Canberra continues to gain recognition as a fine wine region, it's becoming more apparent the district is ably suited to a number of varieties. Shiraz, riesling, viognier, and more recently cabernet, have all caught my attention from the nation's capital.

Showing similar minty/leafy tones to Shaw Vineyard's 2008 Cabernet Merlot, this sweetly scented young cabernet sauvignon reveals an aroma of blackberry, dark plum, violets and raw, toasty chocolate oak residing beneath its heady green aspects. Syrupy in texture, its leaner palate announces faintly hollow but brightly lit, ripe and slightly sweet varietal fruit flavours in the stewy cassis/mulberry/raspberry spectrum, before it extends with developing capsicum/minty characters and a soft structure marked more by lithe acids than tannin.

O Much like Shaw Vineyard's 2008 Cabernet Merlot, this is a brightly flavoured, early drinking and very quaffable cabernet which rides the style's minty/green aspects well, however, I believe the cab/merlot possesses superior structure and character, although some will prefer the more straight forward nature of this wine. Drink to 2013.

88 points

www.shawvineyards.com.au