OZ WINE TOONS

Volatile Acidity

LEASINGHAM BIN 56 CABERNET MALBEC 2008

- Clare Valley, SA

- $15-$27

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

Just as I was regaining the love for Leasingham wines; both high end and low, the brand goes and hits a hurdle. A whole row of them even. Key vineyards have been sold, the winery's been sold off, there's been a recent change of ownership and even Leasingham's website is under construction now. For the sake of one of Clare's most significant names, I do hope these hurdles can be cleared.

In keeping in tune with some of Leasingham's recent successes, this Bin 56 looks and smells joyously bright, without a shred of the over-ripeness found in many of South Australia's 2008s. Menthol-tinged scents of cassis, mulberries and red plums leap from the glass in a magnificently fruited, vivid style after an hour in the decanter, with a secondary accompaniment of soft vanilla/mocha oak thrown in for good measure. A smidgeon of the region's classic eucalyptus also appears, siding with its menthol aromas nicely. Thankfully, these characters slide into the mouth with ease, as it unfolds a silky, medium-bodied palate defined by its vibrancy. If anything, its menthol/eucalyptus touched berry flavours only lack the complexity and integrated elegance of reserve labels, but it still finishes beautifully long and imposingly dry, revealing earthy tones underneath a nervy yet merging structure of gripping acids and tannin, helped into place by some thoroughly modern winemaking polish. It's quite amazing really; a genuinely happy surprise.

ü+ Brightly fruited and flavoured, tight and dry, the 2008 Bin 56 defies my expectations of its vintage and price immeasurably. My fingers are steadfastly crossed for the future of Leasingham now. Drink to 2020.

92 points

www.leasingham-wines.com.au

MORRIS CLASSIC LIQUEUR MUSCAT

- Rutherglen, VIC

- $14-$22

- Screwcap

- 17.5%alc

Picking a favourite out of Morris's entry level muscat or tokay is merely a matter of personal taste. Do you prefer the toffee and tea leaf characters of the tokay, or the slightly richer, more raisined flavours of the muscat? Either way, it's a win-win situation for lovers of fortified wine.

Mmmmm yes. Classic aromas of sultanas/raisins, fruitcake and light spice rise from the glass of the Morris Muscat, expressed with more than minor suggestions of spirity warmth, richness and a nasal tickle that's hard to ignore. In lieu of its rich underbelly, it's actually quite piercing to smell deeply. Throughout the palate those same characters persist, yet definitively, a luscious, comforting taste of liquid fruitcake delves with a snuggly warmth, before perfectly pitched influences of alcohol and a faint dryness partner its sweetly set richness to a refreshingly long, just plain positive finish. Its sheer drinkability is a huge plus, so it's by no means a one nip muscat.

ü+ I continue to be beyond satisfied by the entry level muscats and tokays of Morris. They must be some of the most consistently emptied bottles of wine at my place. Drink now.

92 points

www.morriswines.com

AN END OF EVENING CLASSIC WITH A RICH, RAISINY RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT

70% Cocoa bitter dark chocolate

ORLANDO ST HILARY CHARDONNAY 2009

- Padthaway, SA

- $16-$25

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

As I scan the front label of Orlando's St Hilary, I notice the fine print; 'St Hilary is an elegant dry wine vintaged from grapes grown in Padthaway, a region which has earned an international reputation for premium Chardonnay.' If that's the case, then I hope Orlando continue to release a Padthaway chardonnay; namely St Hilary, which, if anything, has shown itself to be appropriately valued over the years.

Typical of the label, there's a sly yet clear whiff of human intervention evident from first sniff. There are cheesy touches of malo, as well as spicy vanilla oak and yeast on the nose, with its fruity interweaving supplied by aromas of candied white peaches and melon, in a slightly brassy manner that does require more lift and fruit freshness. The palate is medium-full and fractionally round, yet it just seems to cower away when it counts, leaving the mouth feeling fairly nonplussed. Unfortunately, it finishes a little loose, brassy and perhaps warming to boot, as its buttered popcorn-like oak coated flavours of sweet green melon fruits lack the definition, shape and tightness of Australia's pace-setting $20 chardonnays. Overall balance is an issue, although it seems marginally better by night's end.

X For a label and a brand some might consider 'lost', this wine seems just that (and I normally like St Hilary). Drink to 2013.

86 points

www.orlandowines.com

CLARENDON HILLS BLEWITT SPRINGS GRENACHE 2006

- McLaren Vale, SA

- $95

- Cork (Vintage dated)

- 14.5%alc

From an Adelaide point of view, I've always considered Clarendon Hills to be 'the Wendouree of the south' (there are numerous differences though, not the least of which is consistency). Roman Bratasiuk crafts spectacular individual vineyard reds of immense power, depth and concentration, to which there are few rivals within McLaren Vale. Clarendon Hills wines are expensive and tricky to find, but if the style suits, then the best wines are a must try experience.

From vines planted in 1925, Clarendon Hills' 2006 Blewitt Springs shows one of those classic old-vine McLaren Vale grenache aromas, combining sweet fruit with savoury complexity. There are expressions of leathery earth, game meats and perhaps mushroom, expressed with perfume and intensity, and bolstered by a wonderfully deep, bright core of multi-coloured forest berries adding real sex appeal. Its ripeness is generous and vivid, without being excessive. An incredible acid/tannin structure, rare in Australian grenache, harnesses the palate with a sensuous, net-like coverage. Within its ultra-fine, slick and fanned-out confines resides a mouthfeel of genuinely elegant suppleness, filled out by a richly flavoured symposium of berry compote notes. Although it becomes progressively drier and fine-grained to finish, in a more than welcomed, procrastinating fashion, it also shows a slight jammy quality and a warm hint of menthol.

O The supple, elegant feel of this well structured grenache comes across as something of a surprise from Clarendon Hills, yet it reflects its variety and vintage to perfection. Even for the price, this is quite a grenache, but if it wasn't for a touch of warmth at the finish, then it would've scored an extra point and a tick. Drink to 2018.

94 points

www.clarendonhills.com.au

AN ENOMATIC TASTING

I recently had the opportunity to sample wines from The Ed's Enomatic wine tasting machine, or, the Wine Taster 2000 as it could also be called. :)

For those unfamiliar with the machine, The Enomatic is a wine dispenser, capable of rationing out single tastings, double tastings or full glasses of wine, via 3 separate buttons aligned to each bottle in the display. Prices go up in accordance with the size of the pour, as well as the wine in question. Additionally, and on this day, some pours can be free of charge, however, it's intended for commercial use and not the home (although...).

To prevent oxidation, the Enomatic disperses gas into the bottle as it pours out the wine. In this case, The Ed were using argon, which can apparently keep open wine bottles fresh for around a month, but to play it safe, bottles at The Ed are presently changed over after two weeks. Seeing as single bottles actually last two weeks, indicates to me there might not be too much consumer interest in the Enomatic around Adelaide, just yet.

I tasted my way through the wines available on the day, which included a couple of Australian icons. Leeuwin Estate's 2008 Art Series Chardonnay, Clonakilla's 2009 Shiraz Viognier and Peter Lehmann's 2006 Stonewell were all on hand, but alas, they were also at the end of their two week cycle, as they were getting replaced by a predominantly European selection of off-dry rieslings the next day.

To be honest, I felt some of the wines presented well and some not so well, so no tasting notes were taken. I believe the level of wine in the bottle may have had some effect, as some of the cheaper wines (including Rymill's 'free of charge' 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon) appeared fresher and livelier through the palate. Interestingly, a staff member agreed some of the wines may have been a bit 'flat'. To possibly improve the situation, the next selection of wines are going to be 'prolonged' by a mixture of argon and CO2. It's still a trial and error thing at the moment, as well as the only one in Adelaide if I'm correct. If anyone out there has any experience using these machines, any insight would be appreciated.

To purchase from the Enomatic, The Ed provides the customer/taster with a 'credit card', where credits can be purchased and topped up from the register as you see fit. Knowing the place, I can guarantee there will always be something interesting in their Enomatic, but whether you're willing to pay for it is up to you.

As a rough guideline of pricing, I think the Art Series was $4 a pour, $8 a double and $18 a glass. Clonakilla $4.50 a pour, $9 a double and $20 a glass. You be the judge. Most days I'd be happy to pay $18 for a glass of Art Series or $20 for Clonakilla, but with Enomatic, I just wasn't convinced about the state of the wine's freshness, or the environment in which it's presented (does anyone really want to pay $20 for a glass of wine in a bottle shop?) I'd want to get there early on the rotation next time, although I was told the Art Series was drinking better after two weeks.

The Ed's Enomatic credit card

So there we have it. More innovation from my favourite fine wine retailer. Is it the future of wine drinking? I hope not. But I don't have a problem with Enomatic playing its role at fine wine retailers or wine bars. Sure, the prolonged freshness is a plus and allowing customers to taste wines they otherwise might not buy is good (the first set of wines included Hill of Grace, Grange and Chateau d'Yquem - too many credits for me!), but the Enomatic experience is just too sterile for me, and as a consumer, it also takes away one of my most loved aspects of wine tasting; human to human contact.

For more information check out:-

http://www.enomatic.co.nz/home/

Is there no Australian site?

HELM CLASSIC DRY RIESLING 2010

- Canberra District

- $28

- Screwcap

- 11.5%alc

Guys like Ken Helm make Australia's wine industry a better place. They pick a special variety for their chosen site, nurture it, work it and excel at its production; with undying commitment, until the rest of the industry can't help but take notice. Sublime Canberra District riesling is Ken Helm's forte.

On first sniff, a clear, attractive scent of light spice (ground white pepper maybe?) emerges from Helm's 2010. It dissipates relatively quickly though, giving way to a tight fragrance of slate, white flowers, pear and citrus juice, which should unravel nicely with time. The palate delivers characters of lemon juice, green-edged pears and slate, with a slight undertone of white peach, but it's incredibly flavoursome and zesty, in a sour-citric riesling sense. Its tail whips across the back palate with a wonderful, nervy energy, imparted by a dry structure as assertive as South Australian models, but it's considerably less chalky, more sour-citric, mouth puckering and zippy.

ü Just as the name suggests, this is a classic, dry Canberra District riesling. It's emphatically defined by a racy, sour-edged structure now, but a good stint in the cellar will repay patience. Drink 2017-2022.

92 points

www.helmwines.com.au

CAPITAL WINES THE BACKBENCHER MERLOT 2009

- Canberra District

- $25

- Screwcap

- 13.3%alc

Capital Wines is a small Canberra District producer, whose enthusiasm for the micro-blogging social medium, Twitter, has raised their profile dramatically, now putting them in the enviable position of being a small winery whose demand often outstrips supply. Admittedly, if it wasn't for Capital Wines use of social media, I probably wouldn't be holding this bottle now.

Australian merlot fans will be happy to sense dry accents of cedar, herbs and light spice residing in the airspace above Capital Wines' 2009 Backbencher, underpinned by comforting aromas of plums and cherries tightly bonded by a classy touch of chocolate/cedar oak. Its invitingly medium-medium/full bodied palate appears darker, silky to touch yet conclusively dry and fine-boned, with an attractive mix of olive, earth, red plum and melting chocolate notes graced over by velvety tannins. However, the Backbencher's best feature must be its sheer drinkability, attained through a lush nature. With smooth, soft and seductive curves, it literally oozes its way from front to back palate, leaving the mouth with a lasting impression of faintly sour-edged, bright varietal fruits dipped in milk chocolate. Yum.

ü+ A very modern impression of a ready to drink, genuinely ripened, cooler climate Australian merlot. As a second label merlot, the 2009 Backbencher makes many of Australia's first labels look, well, like a politician caught sniffing a seat. Drink to 2017.

91 points

www.capitalwines.com.au

SMIDGE HOUDINI MCLAREN VALE SHIRAZ 2009

- McLaren Vale, SA

- $18

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

Smidge Wines is a project of winemaker Matt Wenk, a man well known for his work at Two Hands in the Barossa Valley. The Smidge range covers a classically South Australian set of styles, including McLaren Vale Shiraz, Barossa Shiraz and Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc, as well as some less common regional/stylistic match-ups, such as Langhorne Creek Zinfandel and Barossa Valley Shiraz/Zinfandel.

A rather joyous whiff of varnishy, secondhand vanilla oak jumps from the glass of Smidge's 2009 Houdini Shiraz, slightly obscuring a fruit profile that does take time to open up, but when it does, it's pleasingly regional and sweetly fruited without being over-ripe. Aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and sour plums reside in the bouquet, with a minor lift provided by notes of menthol and cinnamon. Its palate is medium-bodied and vibrant, with no awkward or unwanted distractions, allowing a bright, balanced and appealling array of juicy choc-berry flavours to be strung together by sour-edged acids, in a simple, easy drinking manner. There are hints of dried fruit, lightly spiced vanilla oak and maybe a faint hardness at the finish, but those refreshingly sour-edged acids confidently stride through, cleaning up the aftertaste like a good wax finish. Just pass the BBQ pork spare ribs please...

ü Thanks to its bright flavours, contained alcohol, medium-weight and most importantly; balance, Smidge's 2009 Houdini is a stylish quaffing shiraz from a difficult season. Drink to 2015.

89 points

www.smidgewines.com