MINI-VERTICAL TASTING: MINKO FLEURIEU PENINSULA PINOT NOIR

I had the opportunity yesterday to drink 3 glasses of Fleurieu Peninsula pinot noir from the Minko winery, covering vintages 2005, 2006 and 2008 (current release). Minko was a name previously unknown to me, but my encounters with Tapanappa's unique Fleurieu pinot noir instigated enough enthusiasm in my mind to go and check the Minko wines out.

Outside of Tapanappa's wine I actually have very little experience with this relatively new region's pinot noir. Admittedly, Minko's vineyard is some distance from Croser's. Brian Croser's Foggy Hill vineyard lies around Parawa, at the southern end of the Fleurieu, between Victor Harbour and Cape Jervis, while Minko's vineyard is roughly a 20 min drive north-east of that spot at Mount Compass. Mount Compass sits at the southern end of Willunga, which itself sits at the southern end of McLaren Vale, so in thinking, Minko's cool Mount Compass vineyard is as close (if not closer) to McLaren Vale as it is to Tapanappa's Foggy Hill vineyard. Of course, both Tapanappa's and Minko's Pinot Noirs carry the same Fleurieu Peninsula regional tag on the label.

Minko's Pinot Noir retails for $25, roughly half that of Tapanappa's, while its Mount Compass vineyard was planted in 1997. Considering its price I was actually quite impressed by the Minko pinot style, which is noticeably less oaky than Tapanappa's. The better wines showed a good earthiness and richness of flavour (potential regional qualities?), while the 2005 displayed the brand's potential for development. Personally I think for $25 they're about as good as any pinot South Australia dishes up in that price range.

Basically, if Tapanappa's wine pushes the upper echelon of Fleurieu pinot noir in the future, I believe Minko is capable of giving us something tasty to drink at the lower end of the price scale. I will continue to watch Fleurieu pinot noir with growing interest....

Minko Pinot Noir tasting notes are posted below

Minko Pinot Noir 2008 ($25) Shows a strong yet pleasant aroma of beetroot, overlying savoury cherry fruits, earth and clean, restrained oak. Its palate is light-medium bodied yet pleasingly rich and supple, with a lightly spiced, savoury cherry fruit core bound by an understated, dry coverage of lithe tannins and acid. Considerate, intelligent oak usage is a plus at this price point. It's actually quite composed and elegant, with all the elements in place to age until the next World Cup. (full review soon) 91

Minko Pinot Noir 2006 ($25) Bizarre nose. Yes, there's some rhubarb and game, but I also get grapefruit and something that resembles wheat or grain. Quite unusual. Its palate lacks pinot's typical suppleness and fluffiness, as its mouthfeel reflects something more like a lighter dry red. Its ripe fruit resides somewhere in the currant/game spectrum, and although its quite sumptuous through the mid-palate, I'm not entirely convinced of its varietal quality. It is quite drinkable though. 87

Minko Pinot Noir 2005 ($25) Instantly brings me back to varietal correctness, with a more herbal, savoury overlay to cherry, earth and cinnamon aromas. Its good, soft palate is brought to life by a true thrust of lively acids and tannins (a surprise for its age), which leave a good impression through outline. Although soft it's quite luscious, and the fullest and most filled out of the 3 wines. A lingering earthy tone punctuates its finish. Top value and a fine indication of the wine's ability to age, as it could easily sit down for another 2, or maybe even 3 years. Picked up a bottle and I might review it, maybe...92

FREYCINET RIESLING 2009

- East Coast Tasmania

- $22-$33

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

From their unique micro-climate on Tasmaina's picturesque east coast, Freycinet consistently produce what I believe to be Tasmania's finest riesling. Recent vintages have proven this to a tee, in particular the juicy, crystal-clear and schisty 2007 (95pts).

Intensely fragrant, with a chalky, mineral, slightly spicy and sharp expression of white flower, pear/apple and paw-paw aromas, the 2009 Freycinet reveals a long, racy palate packed with considerable shape and structure. Its clean announcement of varietal lime juice, rose petal and spicy musk stick flavours are driven along by a viscous undercarriage, which in turn gets offset by a side-splitting extract of powerful, powdery acids and citric freshness. It finishes with exceptional length, tightness and austerity; bearing the lasting impression of true top shelf material.

ü+ Freycinet's 2009 Riesling exudes class and character throughout all of its aspects; aroma, texture, flavour, structure and length. Just fabulous. Drink to 2021.

95 points

www.freycinetvineyard.com.au

OZ WINE TOONS

HAHNDORF HILL WINERY SHIRAZ 2007

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $30

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

Located between the townships of Hahndorf and Balhannah in the central Adelaide Hills (right near Shaw and Smith), Hahndorf Hill is a boutique winery famous with locals for its proudly modern, visitor-friendly cellar door. Hahndorf Hill's sole red wine (with the exception of a sporadic blaufrankisch) is a shiraz made in the Adelaide Hills' typically rich, spicy style.

Showing great depth and vibrancy of colour, HHW's 2007 Shiraz opens to floral, savoury scents of game meats, violets, dark plum and blackberry backed by cinnamon and white pepper with a modest touch of vanilla/cedar/chocolate oak evident. Held together by a manageable, dry and powdery structure, its medium-full bodied palate bursts with rich, velvety dark plums and berries augmented by savoury, earthy undertones. It finishes positively long, displaying balance, vitality and a mouthfilling richness underlined by lingering notes of choc-raisin, clove and fennel.

ü+ Like their regional neighbours Shaw and Smith, Hahndorf Hill has delivered a winning shiraz from 2007. Although not as exotic or spicy as some recent releases, it's richly flavoured, harmonious and most importantly; delicious. Drink to 2016.

92 points

www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au

RED HILL ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2008

- Mornington Peninsula, VIC

- $16-$28

- Screwcap

- 13.6%alc

My ever optimistic view on the state of things in Australia tells me there's been a noted improvement among Australia's $20-$30 pinot class in the last 5 years, but my fear of disappointment generally keeps me away from the $10-$20 class. A $16 (on discount) pinot like this one from Red Hill Estate is just the type of wine I would've been extremely wary of 5 years ago.

Loosely varietal and lean, the 2008 Red Hill Estate's thinly veiled fragrance of roast meats, cherry, sweet cedar oak and airy spice precedes a light-medium bodied, fluffy yet hollow palate marked by metallic edges. A certain degree of suppleness and red berry/cherry flavour benefits the palate, but it's also quite angular and its finish leaves the mouth with a lingering astringency and rawness.

X Although not a complete train wreck (thanks to the presence of some happily valid varietal elements), the 2008 Red Hill Estate does remind me why I usually want at least a twenty in my wallet when buying Australian pinot noir. Drink to 2011.

86 points

www.redhillestate.com.au

CHARLES MELTON NINE POPES 2007

- Barossa Valley, SA

- $45-$70

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

Charles Melton's Nine Popes is recognised as Australia's benchmark interpretation of a southern Rhone blend. With heat, drought, a compressed vintage and low yields, 2007 proved a real headache for South Australian growers, but some old-vine grenache styles provided real highlights from both McLaren Vale and the Barossa.

Presenting a deep, dark crimson colour, the 2007 Nine Popes opens to a vividly ripened, rich and somewhat meaty nose of raisins and plum fruits smoothed over by sweet vanilla oak, causing it to appear a bit oaky at this stage and in need of more time to integrate. Incredibly dense and plump, its weighty palate pumps out a smorgasbord of bright fruit flavours, revealing raspberry, rhubarb, plums, currants and game meats with a sprinkling of cinnamon stick character. There's an even coverage of fair tannins, glossy acids and an expansive sweetness emanating from its deeply fruited core, but the sweetness seems to be imparted more from sweet, smoky oak as opposed to confectionery Barossa grenache.

O This very youthful Nine Popes is presently too sweetly fruited and too sweetly oaked to genuinely thrill me. It does possess real weight and depth though, so given the choice I'd sit some aside for a while in the hope of encouraging complex savoury development and integration. Drink 2013-2015.

91 points

www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au

ROLLING SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON 2009

- Central Ranges, NSW

- $12-$20

- Screwcap

- 12.0%alc

The high altitude vineyards of New South Wales' Orange/Central Ranges region have proven well suited to sauvignon blanc, a point which Cumulus amply illustrated with their 2009 Climbing release (91pts).

Cumulus' second label, Rolling, has delivered an uncomplicated SBS from 2009 with light scents of sauvignon blanc derived passionfruit/tinned tropical fruits leading aromas of lemon zest and nettle. Its light-medium bodied, forward palate presents a well timed, juicy hit of clean and fresh fruit flavour in the middle section, before finishing with brassy undertones and hints of apple in a soft, loose fashion without any significant tightness.

O An eye catching label and 4 bronze (!?) medals on the bottle might help this find its niche market, where it should drink okay with seafoods or in a pub atmosphere. Other than that there's not much to excite serious drinkers in this clean yet uninspiring SBS, although it is priced accordingly. Drink now.

87 points

www.rollingwines.com.au

LEABROOK ESTATE

Leabrook Estate's is a relatively new cellar door in the Adelaide Hills, and if you haven't been yet I suggest you put it at the top of your must visit list next time you're in the region. From word go there's just so much to like about the place. It's housed in a charmingly rustic 130 year-old stone and wood building, which gives off an air of old world charm, traditional values and small-scale, boutique, customer focused winemaking as soon as you arrive.

I recall meeting Leabrook Estate's owner/winemaker Colin Best at a small winemaker's tasting several years ago, where the man left a great impression on me. If I remember correctly Colin brought his own decanters to that tasting, the only winemaker on the day to do so, telling me here's a guy who's serious about presenting his wines in the best possible fashion. Everything about Colin that day beamed focus and determination, especially when it came to cabernet franc (perhaps the house specialty) and pinot noir.

After going through Leabrook on the weekend I'm only happier with the way the brand has developed. Leabrook Estate had no cellar door when I met Colin, but I can tell you he's picked the right pair of ladies to manage it. Both our hosts (headed by the lovely Chris Best) were very personable, entertaining and sharp given the amount of customers they dealt with. It was apparent they were only too willing to take in guests to the cellar door like friends to a family dinner. In fact, the rather intimate cellar door experience reminded me of some of my favourite memories at Ashton Hills with Peta and Stephen George (only minus the state's best pinot!).

Leabrook offers a fairly contemporary range of cool-climate Adelaide Hills' wines, except for their unusual selection of 5 renditions of red Bordeaux styles. I was particularly impressed by Leabrook's generous pricing (especially after having gone there direct from The Lane) and most notably quality control. Due to the harsh conditions thrown up by the 2008 vintage, Colin declassified all the pinot noir fruit which would usually go into his Reserve wine. Instead the grapes were bottled as a cleanskin release, which is sold through cellar door for the excellent price of $80 a dozen. I can tell you the 2008 pinot cleanskins were proving very popular with punters on the day, as I counted at least 5 cartons walk out the door when I was there. Declassification of below quality fruit into lesser wines in difficult seasons is a decision I always applaud wineries on.

In conclusion, if you're in the Hills (or even if you're not, it's only 20 minutes from Adelaide's CBD straight up Greenhill Road) then you must pop in and say G'day at Leabrook Estate's cellar door. You won't regret it. Leabrook Estate is open weekends and public holidays only, from 11am to 5pm.

Leabrook Estate tasting notes are posted below.

Leabrook Estate Riesling 2008 ($22) Slatey, quartz and mineral aromas show a touch of toasty development, but its palate is a bit round and soft, with what seems like awkward, spiky acids. I'd say adolescence has started to kick in here. 87

Leabrook Estate Chardonnay 2007 ($30) A lighter oaked style with ripe melon fruits and a tangy, citrussy palate. It's fairly tidy but a bit simple. 87

Leabrook Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2008 ($35) Fragrant nutty/buttery oak evident, with a balanced expression of very refined mineral and white stonefruit characters. True stuff in the modern Australian mould. 90

Leabrook Estate Pinot Noir 2003 ($15) Very developed, muddy earth nose lacks aromatic lift. Its palate is sharp, without much in the way of texture or richness. 83

Leabrook Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 ($33) Good spice characters to the nose, with underlying cherry and dark plum aromas. The palate presents pleasing, silky texture with fair, prickly pinot structure and an interesting, more savoury finish marked by cedar oak and spice. (full review soon) 90

Cleanskin Pinot Noir 2008 ($80/doz) Surprisingly varietal nose, with perfume, light spice and red cherry. The palate however, lets down its initial promise, with a light, forward and short expression of unconvincing, overly ripe varietal flavour in the rhubarb/currant spectrum that ends rather abruptly. It was very popular on the day but for about $2 more a unit I'd take De Bortoli's 2008 Windy Peak instead. (Casey picked up two cases of this so we might do a comparison of these two sub-$10 pinots one day...) 82

Leabrook Estate Cabernet Franc 2006 ($26) Big fan of this wine normally and the 2006 didn't let me down. It's more of a riper, juicy and quaffable style of richly flavoured Adelaide Hills' red with some cabernet franc character. (reviewed separate post) 90

Leabrook Estate Merlot 2006 ($28) Slightly herbal, tea leaf and red plum characters with none of the plumpness of warmer climate merlot and a surprising structure delivered through fine tannins and good acid. At its best I believe Adelaide Hills merlot can be quite good and this wine proves it well. (does anyone remember Shaw and Smith's?) 90

Leabrook Estate Shiraz 2006 ($30) Very vibrant nose marked by clear spice notes, bright fruit and aromas of cedar oak and aniseed. It's a medium-bodied style, with a lingering, peppery and spicy finish marked by additional tones of aniseed/fennel. Good stuff and a fine take on the regional style. 90

Leabrook Estate Three Regions Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($30) 85% Adelaide Hills with the remainder split between the Adelaide Plains and Langhorne Creek. The Adelaide Plains/Langhorne Creek components certainly contribute richness and plushness to the mid-palate, but its aroma still seems a bit flat. There's a smooth plushness to its herbal dark fruit and chocolate flavours, which show plenty of ripeness and easy drinkability. Probably more of an early drinker. 88

Leabrook Estate George Merlot 2008 ($40) Intensely fragrant, with a herb/menthol overlay to red berry and spicy cedar oak aromas. Its barely medium-bodied palate is fine, elegant and balanced, and driven nicely down the palate by a structure that's relatively vivid for the variety. A very good Australian merlot which represents a true varietal expression (maybe there's a little cabernet thrown in?) 92

HAHNDORF HILL

My first impression on my visit to Hahndorf Hill was one of disappointment. Disappointment that their superb, award winning restaurant has been closed down in favour of a chocolate tasting area (since September supposedly). Other than that however, the entire experience at Hahndorf Hill remains as enjoyable as ever.

On arrival at the tasting bench we were greeted by South African owner/winemaker Larry Jacobs, who charmed his way through their entire range with us, with the professionalism and striking personality of a seasoned veteran. Being South African we felt it natural to discuss World Cup soccer and enjoyed joking about the Kiwis with him (we drew the first game, then the second, and oh yes, we finally drew the third!), while the group I was with presented a round of applause to the charming Larry when he told us of his refusal to sell Hahndorf Hill wines through Woolworths owned outlets. Although I must mention, Larry's sample pours were decidedly skint!

As has become the norm at Hahndorf Hill, their present range of wines is highlighted by one of the Adelaide Hills' most delicious, distinctive chardonnays (defined by lovely, clear butterscotch characters for the second straight release) as well as delightfully spicy, fine and rich regional shiraz. In my opinion Hahndorf Hill remains one of the Adelaide Hills' most underrated makers of both shiraz and chardonnay. There's also a savoury, dry and unique rose made from trollinger and lemberger grapes (which gets released with a year's bottle age) plus one of the Hills' better sauvignon blancs in Hahndorf Hill's collection.

Wine snoffs out there with a liking for the Austrian grape gruner veltliner will be interested to hear Hahndorf Hill now has that grape under vine too. Larry informed us he'd just finished bottling his first vintage (2010), however, the wine has already sold out through pre-sales to his loyal customer base. Looks like I might have to wait till the 2011 release, for which, Hahndorf Hill's website is already taking expressions of interest. Larry's goal is to make a light-medium bodied style gruner veltliner (or groo-vy as he affectionately titles it - there's one for savvy drinkers to snap at!) which reflects a wine with spicy, gris-like character and riesling-like acidity.

I've written up a separate post on Hahndorf Hill's Vino-Choc chocolate and wine tasting below, because I feel it's quite an interesting, educational and unique experience, which is well worth the time for people with a serious interest in wine and food.

All up there's a lot to like about this enterprising, genuinely boutique little winery.

Hahndorf Hill tasting notes are posted below

Hahndorf Hill Rose 2009 ($22) Even though I'm a self confessed non-rose drinker, I always find time to taste Hahndorf Hill's, which is an unusual blend of the red grapes trollinger and lemberger. The 2009 is light, dry and savoury in a good food-pairing sense, but I still found that hint of dirty, candied acids which I so detest in rose. Personally I'd love to see the maker make more trollinger or lemberger as a single varietal red wine. Now that could be interesting! 85

Hahndorf Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($22) Usually one of the Hills' best yet least heralded savvys. The 2009 is no exception. Its nose doesn't jump out of the glass, but the palate thankfully delivers a smooth, luscious and smartly richer expression of gooseberry and lime flavours framed by the necessary refreshing acids. 90

Hahndorf Hill Pinot Grigio 2009 ($25) Another style I'm not particularly huge on (least of all from the Adelaide Hills), but this one's a pretty good, clean and fresh style with the typical pear characters delivered in water-clean fashion. Nick Stock rated this 93 points and Australia's best grigio. 89

Hahndorf Hill Chardonnay 2008 ($28) First varietal chardonnay from HHW since the excellent 2004 vintage (92pts). It's nicely refined yet character laden, rich and textured, and lives up to the 2004's standards. Shows the makers trademark butterscotch characters (which become more pronounced with age) with a creamy expression of peach, melon and creamy cedar oak marked by citric acids, ever present mineral qualities and a clean finish. It's classic Hahndorf Hill style and great value as always. (full review soon) 92

Hahndorf Hill Shiraz 2007 ($30) Shows the strong spice aromas which define the label, this time in more of a pepper sense. There's some red cherry and plush dark plum notes as well, plus carefully contained oak. The palate is beautifully elegant, with fine line and length driven by a sensitive rod of dry tannins. (full review soon) 91

Hahndorf Hill Shiraz 2006 ($32) Superlative fragrance. It's exotic, heady and floral, with distinct notes of cinnamon, clove and violets, in fact it's one of the most beautifully spicy Adelaide Hills shiraz I've ever encountered. Its rich and velvety dark plum and mulberry fruit flavours are considerately framed by light tannins and zippy acids, allowing its wonderful fruit to shine through. A delicious, generously flavoured and hedonistically spiced regional style. 92

VINO-CHOC AT HAHNDORF HILL

Hahndorf Hill's cellar door gives wine tasters the opportunity to drink their wines alongside some of the world's greatest chocolates, in a sit down, formal setting. The staff at Hahndorf Hill recommend you give an hour to spare for the tasting, which is conducted with detailed explanations of each chocolate. There's a variety of options to chose from, ranging from a single glass with a single style of chocolate, to a trio of wines (a third of a glass each) matched to 5 individual chocolates. Prices range from around $20 up to around $40, most of which seems to cover the cost of the chocolate.

I sampled the 2008 Chardonnay with Michel Cluzel tasting (pictured but only showing 2 of the 3 chocolates), incorporating a glass of chardonnay and three small blocks of chocolate for $20 all up. The dark chocolates (all around 66% cocoa) matched the chardonnay surprisingly well. It left a delightful fusion of smooth chardonnay acid and dark, bitter chocolate tannin lingering in the mouth, implying both freshness and grip. I also had a glass of Hahndorf Hill's 2006 Shiraz with the Menavava (50 grams-$26) chocolate tasting, which cost me another $31. The German made but Madagascan sourced Menavava was 52% cocoa and included both vanilla and cocoa nibs. Not only was it the finest milk chocolate I've ever had but it's the only one I've seen with a 39 page booklet included in the package as well as a delightful tasting note on the back;

'Milky, with intense cocoa note. With crispy roasted fresh Menavava cocoa beans and fresh vanilla.'

My only question over the experience is pricing. What you pay for a glass of wine and in some cases very little chocolate could easily afford you a good square meal (or dessert) plus a glass of wine at many of the Hills' delightful pubs and eateries. Given the rather exorbitant prices of the Vino-Choc tastings I'll be interested to see if the experiment lasts, but even if it doesn't, at least they would've opened the eyes of a few people to the world of wine and fine chocolate tasting, just as they did with me (sauvignon blanc and 99% cocoa chocolate, well I never!).