MITCHELL HARRIS SANGIOVESE 2010

- Pyrenees, VIC

- $24.95

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

Much like McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, Pyrenees reds tend to bare a strong stamp of regional influence that's hard to ignore (concentrated dark fruits, firm tannins and eucalyptus notes instantly come to mind). In paying respect to that, the team at Mitchell Harris have taken a deliberately simple and rustic approach to their first sangiovese (gentle crushing and de-stemming, 8 year old French oak maturation), just to see what the Pyrenees style is all about.

Happily rustic within its winemaker's intentions, the 2010 Mitchell Harris Sangiovese shows an air of savoury quality above its black cherry and currant fruit base. A sly, regional whiff of dry leaf resides without dominating, as it's equally matched by a gentle note of dry spice, expressed in a savoury, twiggy kind of way. There's a commendable litheness to the palate, which shows elements of both regional and varietal influence, however, with time, its place of origin speaks ever so clear. It competently captures the lighter, more supple aspects of sangiovese, merging a dry, dark and savoury taste of black cherries underlined by ripe, juicy fruits into a nuttier finish marked by notes of bay leaf and a curling lick of well controlled, chalky tannins. Its tight structural outline provides much needed discipline, clicking everything into place nicely.

ü A typically ripe, dry and dark fruited Pyrenees red, which shows the region might actually be able to pull off some of the lighter styles (in its own way of course). As ever, the methodical winemaking of John Harris has helped paint a clear picture here. Drink to 2016.

90 points

www.mitchellharris.com.au

A MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRED DINNER FOR A DARK, DRY AND RUSTIC VICTORIAN SANGIOVESE

Chicken cacciatore.

This rather intense example is flavoured with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, onion, anchovies, red wine, tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper and a bit of orange juice. The rice would come later, of course.

OZ WINE TOONS

Unbeknown to veteran wine scientist, Edgar, he had just been hit on for the first time in his life.

PETER LEHMANN STONEWELL SHIRAZ 1996

- Barossa Valley, SA

- $73-$110

- Cork

- 14.0%alc

As Australia evolves to better define its own distinctive terroir through sub-regional definition, we shouldn't forget how many of our very best wines represent a skillfully blended composition of multiple vineyards. Peter Lehmann's magnificent 1996 Stonewell harnesses an appetising combination of predominantly north/north-central Barossa shiraz, drawing fruit from the sub-regions of Greenock, Stonewell, Siegersdorf, Moppa and Koonunga Hill. Whatever's going on here - works in my opinion!

Showing a gorgeous fragrance with ample character, complexity and vibrancy, Peter Lehmann's 1996 Stonewell reveals a balanced, savoury nose underlined by splendid depth of fruit. There's varnish and mushroom scents, maybe a hint of truffle too, with flicks of white pepper and classic cedar/vanilla oak complementing a dry aromatic edge to its wonderfully regional, stained black fruit base. By Barossa standards, its palate is gently weighted and practically medium-bodied in the way it draws out a perfectly elegant, leathery expression of blackcurrant and red cherry flavours; however, an incredibly lively finish really steals the show here. Very long and vivid, its growing leathery and fresh vanilla complexity is kept alive and kicking to the end, courtesy of a binding extract of ultra-fine tannins and slick acid which complement its deliciously persistent flavour without muscling it out. Oh yeah. A 96 for the '96.

ü+ A beautifully complex, seamlessly balanced, somewhat subtle and elegant Barossa shiraz with plenty of fruit richness at its core. It's such a fine example of what the style is capable of with a bit of age. Drink to 2014.

96 points

www.peterlehmannwines.com

ST HALLETT OLD BLOCK SHIRAZ 1998

- Barossa Valley/Eden Valley, SA

- $76-$110

- Cork

- 14.0%alc

Call me outdated or boring, but two of my very favourite Barossa shiraz labels remain Peter Lehmann's Stonewell and St Hallett's Old Block. It appears Stuart Blackwell believed the Crows' last premiership season offered some pretty fair fruit quality, as he chose to rest his flagship wine in American oak (new and two year old) for 28 months that year.

Scents of melting chocolate, brown leaf litter and soy reside in the 1998 Old Block's deep, settled fragrance, sparked by blackcurrant and plum fruits with a siding of leather. It's conclusively dark, without being vicious whatsoever. Starting out in a medium weight range, its palate quickly pumps up through the middle section, jumping into a much fuller, juicier framework that moves with good persistence, richness and softness. Its curvaceous shape contains a well directed concoction of earthy dark plum, berry and black olive flavours, which progress with a fine line of sour-edged acids and emerging touches of cedar and spice. It happily personifies the comforting aspects of good Barossa shiraz.

ü A classic regional style that just lacks the forthright complexity to be truly exceptional. Whether it'll develop those characters in coming years is difficult to see, but there's absolutely no denying the immediate drinking pleasure on offer here. Drink to 2018.

94 points

www.sthallett.com.au

NEPENTHE THE GOOD DOCTOR PINOT NOIR 2010

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $34-$47

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

Even though I've always cast my doubts over Nepenthe's ability to produce truly great pinot noir, I remain constantly on the lookout for worthy examples of the style from my home state. So, when Nepenthe's 2010 Good Doctor recently grabbed the bling for 'Best Pinot Noir' (judge's choice) at the South Australian Wine of the Year awards, I felt compelled to take a trip back up through Balhannah to investigate.

Quite fragrant and arrestingly varietal for an Adelaide Hills pinot; particularly a Nepenthe, the 2010 Good Doctor opens to a pretty, musky nose scented with bright cherries, rhubarb, cured meats and soft vanilla oak, with side notes of spearmint, caramel and clove providing a lively edge. Its ripeness and handling are pitched about right, making the whole aromatic presentation a shock in the best of ways. Silky, long and wide, the palate doesn't really let the wine down, but I would've loved to have seen more tightness, focus and flesh, as its meaty, juicy strawberry flavours seem to wash around the mouth in an unusually spread, slightly loose fashion, without ever spiralling down the palate with taut direction, or ever commanding the mouth's upper reaches with a definitive structural backbone. Having said that, what is there is composed, balanced and completely ready to drink, while its smooth fruit shows good persistence and a pleasingly herbal, smoked meat and tomato-like aftertaste. Essentially, its quality reminds me of some of Victoria and Tasmania's better second labels, when really, it's an Adelaide Hills reserve label.

ü I'm happy to say Nepenthe's 2010 Good Doctor is the best pinot noir I've had from their stable, however, it might be better suited to the short term. If it's a precursor of what's to come from the Adelaide Hills' 2010 pinot crop, then I'll be waiting with eager anticipation. Drink 2012-2015.

91 points

www.nepenthe.com.au

ASHTON HILLS

Probably the biggest news coming out of Ashton Hills in recent times is that of Stephen George grafting all of his white varieties (with the exception of riesling) over to pinot noir (crazy dude!). So, from the 2011 vintage onwards, the only Adelaide Hills based wines coming out of Ashton Hills will be Stephen's pinot noirs, the Salmon Brut (a pinot noir based sparkling rose) and possibly a riesling.

Now, as much as I love Ashton Hills' pinot noir (and I do!), this news saddens me somewhat. Stephen's toils with the Alsatian trio of gewurztraminer, riesling and pinot gris, whether blended in his 'Three' wine or in single varietal form, typically brandished more varietal punch and flavour than most from the Hills, thanks to Stephen's daring winemaking. His 'Three' wine in particular, has become something of an Asian food classic over here in Adelaide. But the saddest news has to be the loss of Ashton Hills Chardonnay. Over the years Stephen's shown a real knack for producing complex, richly textured, brightly fruited and well worked chardonnay (in my opinion the Adelaide Hills' best performing variety and Ashton Hills' best wine outside of pinot noir). I'm sorry to drop names but if you look to James Halliday, recent Ashton Hills' Chardonnays have regularly scored in the 95-96 point range and been included in his 'Best of the Best' lists. Kicking the point home is the excellent quality of Ashton Hills' current 2009 Chardonnay. Sigh.

Clearly, the wonderfully eccentric Stephen George is just another man lured by the impossible to deny sexual attraction of fine pinot noir. There's no problems from me there and honestly, it's actually good to see an Australian winery fine-tune, or perhaps 'varietally cleanse' their range for once, as opposed to constantly padding it with new wines and styles based on market trends.

At first I was under the opinion Stephen's move to a more pinot-centric Ashton Hills might've been a personal one; the man is a pinot freak, but a conversation with an Adelaide Hills retailer took me to the impression it might've been a commercially motivated one. According to said retailer, Stephen is hounded by retailers, restauranteurs, airlines etc for his pinot noir, not his whites - so, if it's Ashton Hills Pinot Noir everyone wants, then it's more Ashton Hills Pinot Noir everyone gets. Fair enough really.

At the end of all this, I wish Stephen George, one of my true winemaking idols, all the best with the transition. Good luck Stephen!

Ashton Hills tasting notes are posted below

Ashton Hills Salmon Brut 2009 ($35) Indistinct nose. Clean, crisp, relatively savoury palate with some dry biscuit and strawberry flavour. Needs more character but will bottle age help? Maybe, but for $35 I'd be investing my money elsewhere. 87

Ashton Hills Pinot Gris 2010 ($30) Oodles of character for pinot gris, helped along by late picking, residual sugar and the use of oak. Poached pears and barrel ferment notes on the nose, with some cheesy/sweet aspects as well. Palate too reflects plenty of flavour, with winemaking and rich texture at the fore and a clear taste of residual sweetness to finish. A real 'standout' gris. 89

Ashton Hills Gewurztraminer 2010 ($30) The winemaking (barrel fermentation and lees ageing) isn't as obvious in Stephen's traminer as it is his gris, which is immediately bright, expressive and proudly varietal. Check cleanly scented lychees, rose petals and spice for fragrant appeal, as well as a punchy, juicy palate marked by some of that deceptively sweet and savoury, pure traminer fruit. It finishes particularly refreshing and dry and would make a smart drink for a bright, sunny day. 90

Ashton Hills Chardonnay 2009 ($40) Outstanding nose, immediately makes me stand up and take notice. It mimics nuts and butter with clean melons, grapefruit and white peach all living in harmony without any component going to excess. The palate is notably mouthfilling in the classic Ashton Hills style, richly textured and flavoured, bright, complex and full of impact from start to finish, yet still cleanly balanced and utterly spotless. A fine combination of assertive fruit and winemaking. (full review soon) 94

Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir 2010 ($30) Has settled down nicely since I first tasted this wine some 5 months ago. Possesses a simple yet correct, ripe red fruit and vanilla oak nose, with a palate whose juicy richness errs towards medium-full bodied territory but remains soft and supple enough to end with balance and a refreshingly clean structure. It's a good all-night quaffing pinot, but I do note the slight increase in price from a few years back moves it slightly further away from 'quaffing' zone for me. 90

Ashton Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2009 ($40) Whereas I noted an improvement in integration of the PV wine from 5 months ago, this I didn't. It still looks a bit baked, ripe and dark fruited with some meaty/raisiny aspects, which effects both the varietal integrity of its perfume and its texture. Finish looks a little rough too. It's a fair enough, lighter weight red, it's just hardly a great pinot in my view. 89

Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 ($60) Has a sweetly fruited punch of red plums and cherries with fresh and fragrant, spicy vanilla oak coming along for the ride. The palate also looks a bit sweeter fruited than the best vintages, and although it similarly lacks the perfume, delicacy and elegance of those wines, it comes into its own on a long, commanding, agreeably meaty finish, opened up and flared out by an expansive extract of dry, grainy, assertive tannins. So if a proudly structured pinot is your thing then this looks pretty smart, otherwise, it's probably best served in the cellar for a while. 92

Ashton Hills Sparkling Shiraz 2005 ($40) Shows the ripeness of its Clare vintage with a sweetish (dosage?), concentrated, dark fruited and fractionally meaty style that sometimes suits sparkling reds, but this time it just doesn't work for me. Has the structure and depth to age for a while yet, so maybe time will help it integrate and gain further savoury complexity. The 2002 (from a much better vintage) was looking pretty good around this time last year. 89

Ashton Hills: the future is clear (if a slightly hazy red colour)

NEPENTHE

Much like regional neighbours Ashton Hills, Nepenthe seems to have undergone some notable changes since my last visit. But unlike Ashton Hills, notable change seems to be part of the scenery at Nepenthe.

Nepenthe's wine quality continues to remain steady in a middle of the road kind of way, but outside of that, things tend to shift around fairly quickly for this assertively marketed brand. They're certainly unlikely to die standing still.

The last five years have seen a change of ownership, change of head winemaker and a handsomely redeveloped cellar door, but today I'm going to concentrate more on what's going on with the wines. So here's a look at what might've gone through the heads of the people at Nepenthe recently.

- Let's get serious with sauvignon blanc

Although I don't have the official figures, I assume the carload after busload after carload of trendy, sharply dressed Gen-Xers who rock up to Nepenthe's cellar door on sunny days has something to do with their sauvignon blanc. Fortunately for more discerning drinkers, Nepenthe's recently adopted a more grown up approach to tackling the variety. 2009 marked the arrival of Nepenthe's 'Petraea' Sauvignon Blanc, a wood aged rendition of the variety (5 months in 2500L barrels for the 2010) which goes to show Nepenthe does have a vested interest in pleasing the more serious consumer. Going off the current release, I believe Nepenthe has a bit more work to do to perfect the style (like many from the Hills in my opinion), but their extra effort to produce a top class wine is highly commendable. $28 isn't too bad either.

- Let's get serious with pinot gris

From 2012 onwards I'm told Nepenthe will be getting 'serious' with pinot gris. Whether or not that means an addition to their reserve 'Pinnacle' range or sprucing up their standard gris I'm not sure, but there will be a change towards a a more worked style. I was recently informed pinot gris/grigio now outsells riesling in Australia, which might validate the move in some respects, as well as compensate for those estate chardonnay vines I saw grafted over to pinot gris (chardonnay has clearly been Nepenthe's best performer over the last 5 years in my opinion). Let's hope the 2012 vintage plays into their hands.

- Let's do something about our reds

Although Nepenthe has traditionally been associated with one of the the more unusual red wine portfolios in the Adelaide Hills, the company now seems to be moving in a slightly more orthodox direction, with some of the red focus shifting from those erratic cabernet styles to the more regionally accepted shiraz. The 'Gate Block' Shiraz now signifies Nepenthe's efforts to create a high quality, regional take on the variety. Nepenthe's tempranillo actually looked quite smart on my visit, but I wonder how long the winery will persist with their much maligned Adelaide Hills zinfandel.

- Let's take a look at the results

Despite the noted transitions surrounding Nepenthe's savvy, gris and fuller reds, it was two of the brand's mainstays; the Ithaca Chardonnay and Good Doctor Pinot Noir, which recently impressed a few of our country's show judges. The 2010 Ithaca having picked up the 'Best White Wine' Trophy at the 2011 Riverina Wine Show and the 2010 Good Doctor winning judge's choice for 'Best Pinot Noir' at the 2011 South Australian Wine of the Year awards. The 2010 Ithaca looks a cleverly made (in both vineyard and winery), very classy wine for its modest price, and although the 2010 Good Doctor was unavailable for tasting, it was available for purchase and I picked up a bottle for full review soon.

Nepenthe tasting notes posted below

Nepenthe Sauvignon Blanc 2011 ($19) A very clean and smart looking, typically regional savvy, with good fragrance, brightness and persistence to its ably textured herbal/gooseberry characters. Nepenthe believe the 2011 is one of the best sauvignon blancs they've made in the last 10 years and I'd have to agree. A proud cafe/pub/sitting and sipping-on-Nepenthe's-lawn wine if ever there was one. 90

Nepenthe Petraea Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($28) I was expecting a big jump from the standard wine but it just never really happened. The relatively passive oak and extra bottle age seems to have dumbed down its fruit without really contributing much in the way of complexity. There's some mineral/banana custard notes and a fair push of smooth texture, but it just lacks the vibrancy, shape and structure I ultimately seek. Still, not bad though, and I'll be keeping my eye on it in the future, particularly given the fine 'standard' wine from 2011. 90

Nepenthe Pinot Gris 2010 ($19) Slightly dull, predictable nose reflecting fairly simple, bland white pears. Clean, straight forward palate would make for fair summertime quaffing if not much else. 86

Nepenthe Chardonnay 2010 ($19) 93% unwooded. Once again bit bland, uninspiring, with not a hell of a lot to pick in the way of fruit or winemaking tricks. It is however, cleaner and fresher than the gris, with a finish that spritzes up at the end. 87

Nepenthe Ithaca Chardonnay 2010 ($25) Outstanding value for a 'reserve' Adelaide Hills chardonnay from a reputed name. It has a very clever, fresh and complex nose with some savoury complexity - touches of mineral, yellow nectarine, flint and matchstick with a buttered popcorn-like oak component, but it's all very refined and in line. The palate begins clean, fresh and tight, before developing flavour and pungency towards the finish. Bright acids. Clean wine. Good stuff. 92

Nepenthe Pinot Noir 2010 ($19) Medicinal, sweet red cherry and herb nose, bit off putting really. I hope it's an aeration issue. The palate's a bit sweet 'n' sour, thin and conclusively lacks stuffing, subsequently revealing an unfortunate edginess. Disappointing. 84

Nepenthe The Good Doctor Pinot Noir 2009 ($38) Immediately more satisfying and varietal than the base range wine, with a nose of dusty, meaty cherry kernels, and although its palate enters with a pleasing silkiness, it quickly drops away towards the finish and that's what's left lingering in my mind. 88

Nepenthe Tempranillo 2008 ($25) A real surprise, particularly fragrantly, with its smooth, musky, mushroomy aromas of varnishy red cherries and well handled oak depicting something of the old world in a convincing manner. The vibrant and well constructed palate's bright and smooth to begin but ends with prickly spices and lithe structure. Good wine. 90

Nepenthe The Sirens Zinfandel 2007 ($35) Thin, green, very herbal nose with some cherry elements. Soupy palate, lacks stuffing and vitality, ends awkward and disjointed. Hard to see what's going on here, especially for $35. 84

Nepenthe Gate Block Shiraz 2008 ($38) Almost anything would look good after that zinfandel, and indeed, the 2008 Gate Block might've benefited. It has a bit of a multi-faceted, ripe Adelaide Hills shiraz nose, with meats, menthol/varnish, red and black plums and blueberries. Although smooth to start, with a creamy oak driven texture, the palate looks a bit baked around the edges and could do with more fruit brightness. 89

BURGE FAMILY WILSFORD WINEMAKERS VO TAWNY

- Barossa Valley, SA

- $32-$36 (500ml)

- Cork (Capsule)

- 19.5%alc

Thanks to his family connections with the old Wilsford winery, Rick Burge is able to fashion a thoroughly diverse set of Barossa fortifieds using some very old base materials. Atop Rick's sextuplet of fortified styles sits the VO Tawny, a grenache-based wine awarded a Top Gold at the 2010 Rutherglen Wine Show.

A powerful, heady, intoxicating whiff of alcohol commands the aroma of Rick Burge's VO Tawny, giving a sharp, vaporous intensity to its deeper set notes of fruitcake, currants, spice, orange rind and vanilla oak. The fumes alone would scare the pants off any teetotaler, but the wine's strength contains itself nicely on the palate, which is charmingly rich yet balanced and integrated throughout. Its burnt caramel and nutty rancio flavours persist with sticky saturation along a medium-full bodied framework, leading into a more open-ended, aggressive finish where spirit and spicy fruitcake notes forge the wine home with a lingering orange jam-like sweetness and alcoholic heat. It revels in the intensity of its finish, so a single glass should suffice.

ü A marvellous little show of the excesses of Barossa tawny, without the excessive price. For slightly less ($22), you can get Rick's Old Barossa Tawny (90pts) with even more alcohol (21.0%). Drink now.

92 points

www.burgefamily.com.au

PETER LEHMANN SEMILLON 2010

- Barossa Valley, SA

- $7-$16

- Screwcap

- 11.0%alc

The recent consistency of Peter Lehmann's bargain-basement semillon has been little short of spectacular for a wine of its price (for those of us who appreciate the style of course). Even then, with the fine vintage report and a fantastic wine like Rick Burge's unwooded 2010 Olive Hill (92pts) already released, it's the 2010 Peter Lehmann Semillon I've really pinned high hopes on. I am interested to know how this relates though.

Very restrained and clean, with a slightly spicy nose of under-ripe green pears, melons, lemon and straw, Peter Lehmann's 2010 is one of those young semillons whose shy fragrance suggests its palate should do all the talking. The medium-weighted palate does follow a similar path initially, speaking clarity through youthful, restrained flavour, but if you read between the lines it mentions a few extra details. Firstly, there's a genuinely understated concentration of clean, juicy texture, followed by a mid-palate evolution in flavour profile. It proceeds to reveal more dry grass aspects trailed by a surprisingly savoury, lanolin-like note, which lingers calmly into the aftertaste alongside a soft push of simultaneously creamy, sour-citric acids marked by a faint bitter edge.

ü For under $10 there's a bit more going on here than your average quaffing white and, it probably tastes (and reads) like more than it is. Simple, yet cleverly complex. Drink to 2016.

88 points

www.peterlehmannwines.com