Plantagenet’s Omrah range has had a makeover of late with the labels and packaging featuring white stylings and a light, clean, fresh vibe. This unwooded Chardonnay hails from the cool, pristine Great Southern region of Western Australia, home to the tall trees and blue fairy wrens featured on the label.
It is a beautiful area and produces fine-boned white wines of purity, elegance and focus. This wine doesn’t stray too far towards that lean end of the spectrum, retaining plenty of that lovely palate weight and fruit sweetness I love in Chardonnay.
It’s a generous, tropical nose with plenty of rockmelon and maybe even a whiff of ripe banana. It’s no fruit salad however, just fresh and welcoming. More floral than fruity perhaps.
The palate is light and fresh, nothing too dominant here. Crisp, refreshing acidity provides some structure to the fruit which is ripe. There’s lemon and lime on the finish with green apple, tangy pineapple and sweet lime.
Chardonnay is a great food wine and this should go well with lighter dishes such as grilled fish with lemon or a light creamy chicken pasta.
Chardonnay Day is coming up on 24th May. Click here to find out how you can get involved and taste Chardonnays such as this one.
I love Chardonnay and more often than not it seems I’m the minority. There’s a lot of haters out there who just can’t get into it but this might change some minds.
This wine ticks plenty of boxes and will be my ‘go to’ wine when recommending a cheap Chardonnay to anyone willing to give this often maligned variety a second chance. I reckon it’s a safe bet and amazing value.
With yellow peach and pineapple, it is a ripe aroma without being sickly. Whilst there is great zip and zing from the well balanced acid, this wine is all about that supple, slippery mouthfeel which I love in Chardonnay.
It’s not racy and lean, nor is it heavy and buttery. It sits comfortably in between and nails the balance beautifully providing something for everyone.
A dangerously smashable wine, this will be a staple in my fridge. You’d be hard pressed to find a better value Chardonnay.
Chardonnay Day is coming up on 24th May, check out the details here for how you can get involved and taste some of Australia’s great examples.
d’Arenberg states that “The word Cadenzia is derived from the musical term Cadenza: an outstanding virtuoso passage or flourish toward the end of a movement to demonstrate virtuosity and creativity.”
There are number of wineries participating in this project, launched in 2004, to celebrate McLaren Vale’s history of making Grenache both as a single variety and in its various blended forms. Wines featuring the Cadenzia logo are certified after being assessed by a panel of judges.
Look out for these wines and use Grenache to begin tasting your way around McLaren Vale. It’s a variety ideally suited to the region’s climate with the rich, ripe and luscious fruit soaking up the sun. For more information about the tasting trail, click here and for a map of the geology of the McLaren Vale wine region click here.
As for this particular wine, it’s a beauty. The Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre all contribute to the rich, spicy, juicy and savoury appeal. It is at the darker end of the spectrum with dry spice, earth and even some black olive.
There’s a lot going on in the glass which translates to a lively and succulent texture, with dry, savoury tannins. A worthy example of this great blend.
Four generations of Osborns have been tinkering away in the vineyards of McLaren Vale, with a soft spot and commitment to Grenache both in blends and as a single variety.
d’Arenberg are pretty keen on a good story and this wine has a great history. The vineyard, planted around 30 years ago was left to go a bit feral around 20 years ago, ending up as a horse paddock thus rendering the vineyard useless, unless you were a horse with a fancy for Grenache.
With a complex aroma, there’s layers upon layers. It takes time to reveal itself but off the bat promises much, with ripe raspberries, tarry blackberries and earthy depth.
What an amazing texture. There is a delicate balance of fruit and savoury flavours, all integrating beautifully to present a slippery smooth drinking experience.
There are some drying tannins on the finish which will do a beautiful job at soaking up char grilled meats. It is a concentrated, deep and rich wine with so much going for it.
If you like your Grenache sweet and confectionary like, this ain’t it. It’s grown up Grenache, complex and concentrated. Testament to d’Arenberg’s commitment to this variety.
There are many things d’Arenberg are recognized for, not the least of which is their value for money at the lower price points. There aren’t too many old vine Grenaches, or any wines for that matter, which are treated with such hands-on attention to detail for less than $20. Foot trodden, basket pressed and aged in French and American oak for 12 months, this represents old-skool winemaking, albeit on a large scale, at its finest.
Sour cherries, raspberry cola on the nose which is dominated by ripe red berries. There is such vibrancy and energy here, the fruit is alive and it leaps out at you, ready to party.
In the mouth it’s not quite the party animal it makes out to be. It settles down into more of an assured conversationalist with great depth of character. It’s a heady mix of raspberries, spice, savoury depth and gentle acidity, all in balance. This is a loveable wine.
With a commitment to Grenache that stretches back 100 years, it is fair to say that few do it better than d’Arenberg, worthy custodians of this easy drinking variety.
Outstanding value. It’s a great food wine which will pair beautifully with spicy barbequed sausages.
Since 1912 the Osborn family has been growing grapes in McLaren Vale. The winery, perched amongst the hills, rises out from the expanse of vineyards below extending down toward the Gulf St Vincent. It’s a beautiful location and they make some pretty special wines, each one telling a unique story.
Many wineries and cellar doors in McLaren Vale proudly display a geological map of the area which meticulously defines the composition of what lies beneath. It is fascinating to see just how diverse this relatively small area is. Click here for the map of McLaren Vale’s geology and winery locations.
The name of this wine is derived from the rusty brown Ironstone found in the region and is one of 8 wines d’Arenberg make which feature Grenache, a variety the Osborn’s have championed since the early days.
This wine features the best parcels of old bush vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre. Carefully selected, gently treaded by foot and basket pressed, it isn’t until after time spent in new and old American and French oak that the components are blended.
Damp, savoury and earthy. Not funky but certainly tending more toward the savoury end of the spectrum than sweet. An assured Mourvedre influence provides a foundation for the pepper, spice and Grenache sweetness filtering through.
These layers translate to the palate too. There is some great depth here but it ain’t heavy. It finishes dry, but not before exploding with rich fruits of redcurrant, glade cherries, dried spices and even some red apple late in the finish. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of flavours, exotic, rich and deep.
Best explored over a plate of charcuterie. Give it some time in the decanter if you can, it opens up nicely over a couple of hours.
I picked this wine up from Tim Geddes on a recent trip to McLaren Vale, not before we shared a beer to acknowledge the end of vintage and the end of another busy day. His wines came with a big rap from Brad Hickey who had his Nero d’Avola bubbling away in the same building Tim makes this wine.
Tim makes wines for a number of labels, this being his own. It appears he’s somewhat of a quiet achiever with plenty of bling to his name though he’s not one to brag. With an intimate knowledge of the area and it’s growers, Tim is privy to some of the region’s best fruit each year.
The wine is a cracker. Deep ruby raspberry fruits with a dusty, powdered chocolate aroma, it smells sweet and delicious.
Lovely mouthfeel with layers of soft and fine tannins, talcum like in their texture. Nothing challenging or confronting about this whatsoever, it is an easy drinking Cabernet and this is a very good thing. Drinking should be easy.
This was enjoyed over a Sunday dinner featuring roast lamb with plenty of veggies and roast garlic, is there a better combination? We finished off the bottle with some marshmallows toasted on the wood fired barbeque.
From roast garlic to toasted marshmallows, this wine has universal appeal. Get your mitts on some if you can.
The third annual Chardonnay Day tweet up and tasting is happening in Australia on the 24th May. Following on from the success of last year’s events around the country we’re once again getting together to celebrate this great variety.
Love it or loathe it, there is no denying Chardonnay’s place in Australia’s wine drinking landscape. There is a wide range of styles being made right now with a trend towards more crisp, less oaked styles, expressive of the fruit and it’s terroir. Regardless of your preference, we’re spoilt for choice here in Australia when it comes to accessing great wines.
Chardonnay Day is a worldwide celebration of this variety. Wines and tasting events will be promoted and shared via facebook and twitter, providing everyone with an opportunity to contribute and participate wherever you are. You don’t need to attend an organized event, you can get involved from the comfort of your couch, or wherever you enjoy drinking Chardy.
There will be venues all over the country hosting tastings with details posted and updated below. For the details about what’s happening worldwide check out Rick Bakas’ Eventbrite page and register your participation. There’s also a link to download the app for mobile #ChardDay action.
Here’s how to get involved:
Consumers
Attend one of the tastings near you
Get some friends together, open some bottles and share your thoughts via twitter, or simply drink and celebrate great Chardonnay!
Purchase a tasting pack from participating wineries
Provide a tasting pack for people to purchase of Chardonnay(s) you want to feature
Send samples to the venues listed below to get your wines into people’s glasses
Post links to your wines, videos, photos, blog posts etc. via twitter using the #ChardDay hashtag
Get online prior, during and after the event to talk with people about your wines. This is a great opportunity to connect directly with people who buy and drink your wines
When sending samples please include your twitter name, RRP and contact on a bottle sticker so people can mention you in their tweets
For a quick rundown on how to sign up and use twitter for Chardonnay Day, see this video tutorial I made for last year’s Pinot Smackdown event. Different event, same process.
2012 Event Listing
(to add your event to the list, please contact me via the contact tab at the top of this page)
I’ve been enjoying wine for a while now and over the past few years have begun to really enjoy it. I’ve kinda been getting my nerd on, learning, sharing and talking about wines I love with whoever will listen, and even with some who won’t.
With a week of holidays up my sleeve it was a no-brainer when deciding how I’d like to spend it. I’m on somewhat of a mission to tick things of my ‘fark it’ list. It’s like a bucket list, things I really want to do but have yet to as a result of being a master procrastinator. For me a ‘bucket list’ sounds like something you do when you retire but I’m all about instant gratification so hence the ‘fark it – just do it now’ list.
The Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale are home to some of my favourite wines and I’m very excited to be visiting several wineries and winemakers who’ve made my wine drinking experiences so memorable over the years.
I put the word out on twitter about this visit and have been overwhelmed by the offers of hospitality, tours and accommodation. This didn’t come as a great surprise, my experience of this industry and the generosity of those who populate it has been extremely positive, as I recounted here.
So it is with wide eyes and an insatiable thirst for Australia’s greatest wines that I begin to pack my bags and warm up the taste buds. This is a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey to the birthplace of so many outstanding wines. I shall seek, find and show my respect by drinking these wines with gusto.
Follow my adventures on twitter using the #punterspilgrimage hashtag and this page for daily updates. There will be stories, photos, video and plenty of great wine.
Let the games begin!
Day 1.
Brisbane to Adelaide
I had plenty of time to plan this trip but organization and planning is not really my thing. This has its pros and cons both of which I experience in equal measure and embrace with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. It adds to the adventure not really knowing what’s going to happen next. Despite my ‘wing it’ approach to holiday planning I did have some key visits lined up and was looking forward to putting some faces to names.
Losing my boarding pass at the airport meant I almost didn’t make it on the plane. Oh, and perhaps the fact I got a bit distracted by the Wine Selectors tasting stand near the departure gate didn’t help. I thought it only appropriate to get a head start, to warm up the taste buds. In hindsight, no amount of warming up would prepare my taste buds for the punishment they were to receive later that night.
Adelaide airport is pretty flash, expansive with lots of glass, it looks quite new. I found my way to the Avis desk and proceeded to pick up my 2 door Getz. The bloke at the counter asked me if I’d like to upgrade to a Camry. I wonder if anyone has ever said “Nah, I’m cool. I really don’t want a bigger, more spacious and comfortable vehicle thanks.” The black Camry ‘Touring’ edition was my steed for the next few days and it didn’t miss a beat. It did miss a few turn-offs but I’ll blame the beautifully distracting scenery and my reluctance to refer to maps for this.
Driving into the City soon confirmed that sinking feeling I had of there being no pubs open on a public holiday. I was hoping for a cleansing Coopers to help orient myself and kick things off, again. Those taste buds were starting to cool off and needed to be regularly stimulated. No such luck, it was Easter Monday and the place was a ghost town so I headed for the hills.
Driving through Hahndorf was quite the contrast, the place was cranking. It is a ‘quaint’ town and stacked with little shops selling lace doilies, devonshire teas, souvenirs and the like. Not really what I was looking for but at least there was some life and the least I could do was find a stein of Germany’s finest and some Linke’s Mettwurst to help me settle in.
I was half way through a frosty one when I noticed signs pointing to The Lane and Nepenthe. Had I looked at those maps I picked up at the airport it wouldn’t have come as such a surprise that these two wineries were so close. I set a record for how quick one can drain half a litre of beer then raced off to see if I could squeeze in a quick visit to The Lane before it closed for the afternoon.
It is a beautiful property overlooking undulating hills, lined with neat rows of leafy vines. Christian, the cellar door manager took me thorough the range and for a quick look behind the scenes in the winery. The shirazes were standouts, medium bodied elegant wines with plenty of red fruits. They’re not cheap, but they are very good, the ‘Block 14’ being a standout for mine. (I did take notes for each of the wines rated, those are currently being located. I’ll update this when I find them. Note to self, be more organised.)
I drove out of The Lane back towards Adelaide as the sun was dropping beneath the Hills, it was a tantalising if not brief introduction to what life is like here amongst the vines and it certainly whetted my appetite for more. More would have to wait however, as I had an appointment at Chateau Dis-Grace.
I hadn’t met Andy Purgacz but as is the case with most people I was to meet during this trip, we’d been in touch via Facebook or Twitter and we were keen to swap stories over a few wines. Andy said he’d get some of the family together and open a couple of bottles and I was looking forward to meeting them and experiencing one of these (in)famous gatherings of which I’d heard many a tale of debauchery.
What I wasn’t prepared for however, was the overwhelming generosity and affection shown by everyone I had just met. I was greeted with hugs all round, a glass of Riorret Pinot and a very warm welcome. These were my kinda people. It didn’t take long to get to know the family. There were plenty of laughs, endless bottles of some of Australia’s great Pinots and Peking duck pancakes. I couldn’t ask for much more.
My plans for an early start were clearly being thwarted by such a gathering, and I was fine with that. I had a couple of big days ahead of me so thought I might pace myself which proved to be very difficult. Brilliant wine after brilliant wine made its way into one of the several decanters on the go. When the ’98 Cullen Cabernet Merlot was poured during a game of darts and a sneaky durry at 3am I gave in, pacing was futile.
I had a belly full of great wine and food and a heart full of gratitude for new friends, I was off to a good start.
It’s ripe, there’s oak, it’s Cabernet and I like it. There’s a dusty, leafy, dry edge to the nose with a lick of liquorice to provide layers of interest.
Whilst Cabernet can sometimes be deceptive, luring you in with a sweet aroma then ripping your cheeks apart with deadly tannin, this one is a little more forgiving.
The palate is sparkling with vibrant fruit whilst those trademark tannins are soft and well integrated. The red berries and blackcurrant fruit sits comfortably amongst the medium bodied structure. A kind Cabernet, well built, very approachable and eminently drinkable.
This will work beautifully with marinated meats or juicy lamb cutlets. It evolved nicely and softened over the course of a few days so you could allow some time in the decanter or tuck it away for a few more years but I wouldn’t wait. This is ready to roll.
