After a couple of days in the Barossa, Adelaide and the cricket called. Luckily for us, we were meeting up with a few old muckers from previous times Down Under. So, hello it was to Mike & Sue, David and Martin. Being the good eggs that they are, we headed off for a quick bite at the Magill Estate. Fantastic setting with a great view as the sun set over Adelaide.
We opted for a Degustation menu, and being a group of 6 had enough people to go off-piste and make several of our own wine selections. We gleefully got stuck into the following:
Food:
Seared scallops, iberico jamon, tomato olive oil mousse, basil and lemon crunch
Butter poached marron, liquid pea and ham, leek terrine and shellfish foam
Duck breast, foie gras, gingerbread, liquorice, pineapple and celeriac emulsion
French autumn truffle, roasted shallots, herb and mushroom consommé
Mayura wagyu, sweetcorn, legumes and leaves
Red sensation sorbet, hazelnut oil, praline and finger lime
Bread and butter pudding
Booze:
2004 Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling
2006 Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay
2006 Reserve Bin 06A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay
1994 Magill Estate Shiraz
1986 707 Coonawarra Cab Sav
2006 Kracher Beerenauslese Riesling
One of those evenings where you wish you could pack up the tastes and take them away with you. All of it was pretty special, but the 707, IIRC, was outstanding.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Barossa V - Secret Men's Business
And so, on to the business that was both secret, and manly.
Secret Men's Business (I hope I'm able to divulge this...) is a gang of chaps from various backgrounds in the Barossa who meet up to have a glass and some food and chat about the great subjects, you know, wine, beer, sport. That kind of thing.
Thanks to our host of the previous night, Damon of the 40s cafe, Angaston, we had been invited along. Massive thanks to Damon for taking a punt on letting us crash the party. Did I mention he makes pizza? And also wine? Top bloke, do call in if you're passing.
So why would you call your club Secret Men's Business anyway? You might find some clues here. Drinking and a sense of humour too, see? Marvellous.
Anyway, we were picked up in Angaston by a bunch of likely lads, conveyed to a mini-bus outside a local school, then whisked off into the dusk on a mystery tour. Again I hope I'm not betraying any confidences (who am I kidding? No-one reads this stuff anyway!) by saying we were entertained at the Murrayvale Vineyard by Dale and Kate Tuck.
Thanks to Adrian Griscti,who sent me the minutes of the meeting from which most of the following is shamelessly ripped off.
Food was sorted by Damon. We were greeted with a cheese and fruit platter. Main course comprised Veal Shanks and vegetables served with capsicum jus. Barossa Coffee Roaster (Paul) then served freshly roasted coffee. All marvellous.
Dale spoke very well, and included the history of the property and of the vineyard in addition to the philosophy behind his wines. We tasted the following:
2005 Murrayvale Vineyard Pinot Noir (Methode Champenoise)
2002 Murrayvale Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Murrayvale Vineyard Riesling
2010 Murrayvale Vineyard Pinot Noir (barrel sample)
I didn't take notes, and sadly it was all too long ago to remember much of the detail in the tasting, but these seemed interesting wines worthy of further investigation.
Jimmy Day of Domain Day then spoke on the genesis and development of their outfit and their quest to use lesser known varieties in the highest altitude area of the Barossaand at Mt. Crawford. We tasted:
2009 Domain Day Garganega
2005 Domain Day Lagrein
2005 Domain Day Saperavi
Some really interesting flavours, and a very different experience to Barossa Shiraz.
There was a really interesting Q&A session and a lot of informed debate going on around the room afterwards. A special mention to Chris R####s who was awarded the 2010 SMB Tool of the Year Award for his comment on the Garganega: “enveloping pithy tannins”. Nice.
I can't thanks the boys enough for their hospitality. Here we were, two poms fresh off the plane and far from home, with one of the most keenly anticipated Ashes series in the offing, and being invitied into peoples homes and lives for a brief period and a fair few glasses of wine.
Secret Men's Business: I salute you!
Secret Men's Business (I hope I'm able to divulge this...) is a gang of chaps from various backgrounds in the Barossa who meet up to have a glass and some food and chat about the great subjects, you know, wine, beer, sport. That kind of thing.
Thanks to our host of the previous night, Damon of the 40s cafe, Angaston, we had been invited along. Massive thanks to Damon for taking a punt on letting us crash the party. Did I mention he makes pizza? And also wine? Top bloke, do call in if you're passing.
So why would you call your club Secret Men's Business anyway? You might find some clues here. Drinking and a sense of humour too, see? Marvellous.
Anyway, we were picked up in Angaston by a bunch of likely lads, conveyed to a mini-bus outside a local school, then whisked off into the dusk on a mystery tour. Again I hope I'm not betraying any confidences (who am I kidding? No-one reads this stuff anyway!) by saying we were entertained at the Murrayvale Vineyard by Dale and Kate Tuck.
Thanks to Adrian Griscti,who sent me the minutes of the meeting from which most of the following is shamelessly ripped off.
Food was sorted by Damon. We were greeted with a cheese and fruit platter. Main course comprised Veal Shanks and vegetables served with capsicum jus. Barossa Coffee Roaster (Paul) then served freshly roasted coffee. All marvellous.
Dale spoke very well, and included the history of the property and of the vineyard in addition to the philosophy behind his wines. We tasted the following:
2005 Murrayvale Vineyard Pinot Noir (Methode Champenoise)
2002 Murrayvale Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Murrayvale Vineyard Riesling
2010 Murrayvale Vineyard Pinot Noir (barrel sample)
I didn't take notes, and sadly it was all too long ago to remember much of the detail in the tasting, but these seemed interesting wines worthy of further investigation.
Jimmy Day of Domain Day then spoke on the genesis and development of their outfit and their quest to use lesser known varieties in the highest altitude area of the Barossaand at Mt. Crawford. We tasted:
2009 Domain Day Garganega
2005 Domain Day Lagrein
2005 Domain Day Saperavi
Some really interesting flavours, and a very different experience to Barossa Shiraz.
There was a really interesting Q&A session and a lot of informed debate going on around the room afterwards. A special mention to Chris R####s who was awarded the 2010 SMB Tool of the Year Award for his comment on the Garganega: “enveloping pithy tannins”. Nice.
I can't thanks the boys enough for their hospitality. Here we were, two poms fresh off the plane and far from home, with one of the most keenly anticipated Ashes series in the offing, and being invitied into peoples homes and lives for a brief period and a fair few glasses of wine.
Secret Men's Business: I salute you!
Barossa IV - Charles Melton
Time had marched on apace, so we popped in to the verandah restaurant pre-tasting to fortify us for further hard work ahead.
Fireman Bob came up trumps again with the recommendation of the Hutton Vale lamb pie - turned out he knew the farmer! Told you he was well connected. Anyway, fabulous pie and a great glass of Voices of Angels shiraz to accompany it.
Then on to the tasting....
Rose of Virginia 2010. Deep pink with rose petal aroma and rich taste of strawberry and glacé cherries. Great.
Kirche Shiraz 2007. Deep crimson. Vanilla and spice on the nose. Plum and black pepper. Good structure.
Richelieu 2006. Red berry fruit dominates nose and palate. Less structured thna others.
Nine Popes 2008. Lifting fruity nose, obvious rhone characteristics on palate. Light but with good structure and length.
Father-in-Law Reserve 2008. Aussie shiraz nose with eucalypt, mint and spice. Sweet vanilla over a briary/red fruit base.
Voices of Angels 2008. Jammier; blackcurrant nose combined with elegant palate.
Grains of Paradise 2008. Black pepper nose. Big tannic structure on palate will give this a long life. Needs time.
Fireman Bob came up trumps again with the recommendation of the Hutton Vale lamb pie - turned out he knew the farmer! Told you he was well connected. Anyway, fabulous pie and a great glass of Voices of Angels shiraz to accompany it.
Then on to the tasting....
Rose of Virginia 2010. Deep pink with rose petal aroma and rich taste of strawberry and glacé cherries. Great.
Kirche Shiraz 2007. Deep crimson. Vanilla and spice on the nose. Plum and black pepper. Good structure.
Richelieu 2006. Red berry fruit dominates nose and palate. Less structured thna others.
Nine Popes 2008. Lifting fruity nose, obvious rhone characteristics on palate. Light but with good structure and length.
Father-in-Law Reserve 2008. Aussie shiraz nose with eucalypt, mint and spice. Sweet vanilla over a briary/red fruit base.
Voices of Angels 2008. Jammier; blackcurrant nose combined with elegant palate.
Grains of Paradise 2008. Black pepper nose. Big tannic structure on palate will give this a long life. Needs time.
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Barossa Part III - Rockford
And so on to my favourite Barossa winery at Rockfords.
Again we benefited from Fireman Bob's connections, as we were introduced to various members of the team there. We were ushered into the private Stonewaller tasting room, and made to feel most welcome. Thanks to all involved.
Whites and Rosé
Eden Valley Reisling 2008. Kerosene on the nose. Very acidic, but delicate grapefruit and citrus too. Dry. Great future, cellar for as long as you dare.
Local Growers Semillon 2006. Slightly musty nose. Initially acidic/lemony, softening with long melon finish.
White Frontignac 2010. No notes!
Alicante Bouchet 2010. The rosé. Rich and fruity with strawberries and red fruit. A lot of Rockford fans don't get it I'm told, and I understand, I think. It's a bit sweet, but there's something about it. Maybe I'll order some more and have a further think...
Reds and Fortifieds
Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Great mix of fruit - cherry and blackcurrant - with a bit of mushroom on the nose. Dark red fruit - redcurrants - and fabulous structure with solid tannin and acid.
SVS Shiraz Flaxman Valley 2002. Big white pepper and spice nose with a bit of forest floor. Smokey and spicy, with a hint of fruit hidden behind.
Basket Press 2008. Fruity nose with a hint of vanilla. Smooth, integrated, outstanding.
Black Shiraz 2010. Beautiful. Blackberries and superfine bead. The standard by which all other sparkling shiraz should be judged.
Shiraz VP 2003. Port style. No notes.
P.S. Marion Tawny. Another port. Raisins and walnuts. Christmas pudding in a glass. Outstanding.
Again we benefited from Fireman Bob's connections, as we were introduced to various members of the team there. We were ushered into the private Stonewaller tasting room, and made to feel most welcome. Thanks to all involved.
Whites and Rosé
Eden Valley Reisling 2008. Kerosene on the nose. Very acidic, but delicate grapefruit and citrus too. Dry. Great future, cellar for as long as you dare.
Local Growers Semillon 2006. Slightly musty nose. Initially acidic/lemony, softening with long melon finish.
White Frontignac 2010. No notes!
Alicante Bouchet 2010. The rosé. Rich and fruity with strawberries and red fruit. A lot of Rockford fans don't get it I'm told, and I understand, I think. It's a bit sweet, but there's something about it. Maybe I'll order some more and have a further think...
Reds and Fortifieds
Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Great mix of fruit - cherry and blackcurrant - with a bit of mushroom on the nose. Dark red fruit - redcurrants - and fabulous structure with solid tannin and acid.
SVS Shiraz Flaxman Valley 2002. Big white pepper and spice nose with a bit of forest floor. Smokey and spicy, with a hint of fruit hidden behind.
Basket Press 2008. Fruity nose with a hint of vanilla. Smooth, integrated, outstanding.
Black Shiraz 2010. Beautiful. Blackberries and superfine bead. The standard by which all other sparkling shiraz should be judged.
Shiraz VP 2003. Port style. No notes.
P.S. Marion Tawny. Another port. Raisins and walnuts. Christmas pudding in a glass. Outstanding.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Barossa Part II - Sorby Adams
Refreshed and revitalised, our kid and me woke to the challenge of a new day and some wine tasting.
Our day was made possible by the kindly attentions of Fireman Bob, father to a neighbour of my brother's in Hong Kong. Small world etc. Bob is a long time Barossa resident and has probably helped out at more vintages than I've drunk bottles of red. He's a well connected chap, as we were to find out with our very pleasant personal introductions to the great and good of the Valley.
Sorby Adams was our first visit in the Barossa, and it was a new winery for me. Simon Adams is the owner and wine-maker here, using the experience of being the head man for some years at Yalumba to good effect. He's also brother to Tim Adams of the Clare valley.
Thanks to Fireman Bob, we got the chance to have a long chat with Simon about his Eden Valley vineyard and his aims. The set-up is a bit atypical as there is no cellar door as such, but a shop and cafe in Angaston. You might call it a boutique if you were that way inclined, and I would then call you a perfumed ponce. But, hey, you get the idea.
Broadly speaking, there are two ranges of wine, Jellicoe and Eden Valley wines comes from Adam's vines in the Barossa Hills/Eden valley. Family wines are vinified from grapes from multiple sources across Australia and even NZ and Italy.
Whites
Jellicoe Reisling 2008. Kerosene nose with good acidic structure. Should cellar well.
Eden Valley Gewurztraminer 2008. Floral character, light and very pleasant.
Family Pinot Gris 2009. Interesting that this was presented after the Reisling and Gewurztraminer, as less intensity of flavour meant it suffered a bit by comparison. Pleasant enough, but lacked excitement.
Jellicoe Amelia 2010. A Reisling/Viognier blend with plenty of residual sugar making an interesting sweeter wine. Well matched acidity, good and would be very interesting to see how it ages.
Jellicoe Reisling 2010. Tasted directly after it's arrival in the shop, having been bottled a couple of weeks previously. Very different to the 2008, seeming much more European, with little kerosene character, and interesting mineral and peach flavours with a good length pepper finish. Excellent and would be fascinating to taste again after it has settled down post-bottling.
Family Semillon/Sauvignon 2009. This got missed out earlier in the tasting but we returned and enjoyed an approachable wine with open melon and stone fruit character.
Reds
Eden Valley Morticia Sparkling Shiraz NV. Light, with raspberry on the nose and cherries when tasting. Very easy to drink despite 14% ABV. I really do like good sparkling shiraz, but am often disappointed by the quality. This is good, and at $20/bottle is tremendous value.
Family Cabernet/Shiraz 2008. A combination of Margaret River and Barossa grapes. Plummy nose, strong tannin structure, and in need of more time.
Eden Valley Cabernet 2007. Fruit more evident here, but still had structure and the promise of further improvement.
The Cannon Shiraz/Viognier 2006. 5% viognier gives a lighter style as expected, with redcurrant and a hint of mushroomy flavour. Lacked the violets I often associate with Australian Shiraz/Viognier - not a bad thing.
The Thing Eden Valley Shiraz 2005. Deep red. Big blackcurrant nose, and similar taste but not to the point of jamminess. Really strong acidic structure and a long finish. Needs more time, but promises a lot. Anyone coming to my house for dinner, bring a bottle of this.
All in all, a very pleasant morning spent in the company of Simon and the Adams Family staff. Thanks to them all. And if you can't spot the theme, there's really no hope for you.
Our day was made possible by the kindly attentions of Fireman Bob, father to a neighbour of my brother's in Hong Kong. Small world etc. Bob is a long time Barossa resident and has probably helped out at more vintages than I've drunk bottles of red. He's a well connected chap, as we were to find out with our very pleasant personal introductions to the great and good of the Valley.
Sorby Adams was our first visit in the Barossa, and it was a new winery for me. Simon Adams is the owner and wine-maker here, using the experience of being the head man for some years at Yalumba to good effect. He's also brother to Tim Adams of the Clare valley.
Thanks to Fireman Bob, we got the chance to have a long chat with Simon about his Eden Valley vineyard and his aims. The set-up is a bit atypical as there is no cellar door as such, but a shop and cafe in Angaston. You might call it a boutique if you were that way inclined, and I would then call you a perfumed ponce. But, hey, you get the idea.
Broadly speaking, there are two ranges of wine, Jellicoe and Eden Valley wines comes from Adam's vines in the Barossa Hills/Eden valley. Family wines are vinified from grapes from multiple sources across Australia and even NZ and Italy.
Whites
Jellicoe Reisling 2008. Kerosene nose with good acidic structure. Should cellar well.
Eden Valley Gewurztraminer 2008. Floral character, light and very pleasant.
Family Pinot Gris 2009. Interesting that this was presented after the Reisling and Gewurztraminer, as less intensity of flavour meant it suffered a bit by comparison. Pleasant enough, but lacked excitement.
Jellicoe Amelia 2010. A Reisling/Viognier blend with plenty of residual sugar making an interesting sweeter wine. Well matched acidity, good and would be very interesting to see how it ages.
Jellicoe Reisling 2010. Tasted directly after it's arrival in the shop, having been bottled a couple of weeks previously. Very different to the 2008, seeming much more European, with little kerosene character, and interesting mineral and peach flavours with a good length pepper finish. Excellent and would be fascinating to taste again after it has settled down post-bottling.
Family Semillon/Sauvignon 2009. This got missed out earlier in the tasting but we returned and enjoyed an approachable wine with open melon and stone fruit character.
Reds
Eden Valley Morticia Sparkling Shiraz NV. Light, with raspberry on the nose and cherries when tasting. Very easy to drink despite 14% ABV. I really do like good sparkling shiraz, but am often disappointed by the quality. This is good, and at $20/bottle is tremendous value.
Family Cabernet/Shiraz 2008. A combination of Margaret River and Barossa grapes. Plummy nose, strong tannin structure, and in need of more time.
Eden Valley Cabernet 2007. Fruit more evident here, but still had structure and the promise of further improvement.
The Cannon Shiraz/Viognier 2006. 5% viognier gives a lighter style as expected, with redcurrant and a hint of mushroomy flavour. Lacked the violets I often associate with Australian Shiraz/Viognier - not a bad thing.
The Thing Eden Valley Shiraz 2005. Deep red. Big blackcurrant nose, and similar taste but not to the point of jamminess. Really strong acidic structure and a long finish. Needs more time, but promises a lot. Anyone coming to my house for dinner, bring a bottle of this.
All in all, a very pleasant morning spent in the company of Simon and the Adams Family staff. Thanks to them all. And if you can't spot the theme, there's really no hope for you.
Barossa Valley, part I
I recently had the good fortune to spend some time in Australia, enjoying a spot of cricket as England enjoyed a spectacular resultagainst the old enemy. Marvellous.
I managed to spend a couple of days in South Australia's Barossa Valley, a place I'd visited before, and was glad to return to. I was accompanied by my brother Anthony, who by some neighbourly connections in Hong Kong got us an introduction to a local resident, Fireman Bob. More on him later.
The trip started with me missing my original flight from Brisbane due to a time zone vs mobile phone technological stuff-up. Thankfully I made it onto the next and little bruv didn't have to wait too long at Adelaide airport where we were due to meet.
I shared the flight with the Australian cricket squad, which felt slightly odd as they filed down the plane in the middle of cattle class, passing various senior members of the Barmy Army. I also managed to have a quick chat with Geoffrey Boycott at the luggage carousel, where he managed to answer my incisive question "Did you enjoy the Brisbane Test then?" for fully two minutes before moving onto other subjects centred mainly on himself.
Qantas then managed to make up for successfully sorting out my flight, by leaving my bag in Brisbane, eventually getting it to me after multiple broken promises more than 24 hours later. I suppose I should be grateful they got it to me at all.
We stayed for a couple of nights in Angaston, at the Barossa Brauhaus Hotel, which sounded a lot grander than it was. It was friendly, clean(ish) and cheap. No worries. Dinner was at the 40's cafe, where we were attracted by the claims for multiple award-winning pizza. In short, they didn't disappoint. I was also pleased to find a pretty reasonable winelist, so the food was accompanied by a Rockford Rod & Spur, which was incredibly good value at $38 (members mailing list price is $30).
Towards the end of dinner as we pushed large bits of uneaten pizza around the plate - they were too big for our weedy pom palates, we got chatting to the chef and proprietor, Damon. We chatted about the visit, the pizza and the wine list among other things. When we mentionedthe reason behind the trip was my 40th birthday, Damon took it upon himself to invite us to dinner for the next evening, with a dining/wine tasting club Secret Men's Business. Of course we accepted, and then wobbled off to our hotel for a good night's sleep.
I managed to spend a couple of days in South Australia's Barossa Valley, a place I'd visited before, and was glad to return to. I was accompanied by my brother Anthony, who by some neighbourly connections in Hong Kong got us an introduction to a local resident, Fireman Bob. More on him later.
The trip started with me missing my original flight from Brisbane due to a time zone vs mobile phone technological stuff-up. Thankfully I made it onto the next and little bruv didn't have to wait too long at Adelaide airport where we were due to meet.
I shared the flight with the Australian cricket squad, which felt slightly odd as they filed down the plane in the middle of cattle class, passing various senior members of the Barmy Army. I also managed to have a quick chat with Geoffrey Boycott at the luggage carousel, where he managed to answer my incisive question "Did you enjoy the Brisbane Test then?" for fully two minutes before moving onto other subjects centred mainly on himself.
Qantas then managed to make up for successfully sorting out my flight, by leaving my bag in Brisbane, eventually getting it to me after multiple broken promises more than 24 hours later. I suppose I should be grateful they got it to me at all.
We stayed for a couple of nights in Angaston, at the Barossa Brauhaus Hotel, which sounded a lot grander than it was. It was friendly, clean(ish) and cheap. No worries. Dinner was at the 40's cafe, where we were attracted by the claims for multiple award-winning pizza. In short, they didn't disappoint. I was also pleased to find a pretty reasonable winelist, so the food was accompanied by a Rockford Rod & Spur, which was incredibly good value at $38 (members mailing list price is $30).
Towards the end of dinner as we pushed large bits of uneaten pizza around the plate - they were too big for our weedy pom palates, we got chatting to the chef and proprietor, Damon. We chatted about the visit, the pizza and the wine list among other things. When we mentionedthe reason behind the trip was my 40th birthday, Damon took it upon himself to invite us to dinner for the next evening, with a dining/wine tasting club Secret Men's Business. Of course we accepted, and then wobbled off to our hotel for a good night's sleep.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Australia
I've been Aus for a few days now, and having had few days to settle in, will start a bit of posting. Already been lucky to have a few nice drops, but didn't have the wit or time to make notes.
Highlights so far were a 7 or 8 year old Rod & Spur from Rockfords, a Lindeman's Pyrus from a similar sort of age. Both very good.
Also enjoyed a few pints at the Nelson in Sydney. Three Sheets then Nelson's Blood. Great to have something a bit more ale-y than the normal Aussie beer, although served a bit cold. Small steps, eh?
In Brisbane now for a bit of cricket, which hasn't been the best so far, although it's only end of day one.
I'm staying in a motel in a district that lacks charm. Surprisingly the on site Italian restaurant is ok, and has a pretty decent wine list, unless you're drinking by the glass or half-bottle, as I am. I am left with a Wirra Wirra Church Block 2008 from McLaren Vale. A youthful deep purple, somewhat indistinct nose and sweet in taste. Average.
Heading off to Adelaide and a couple of days in the Barossa soon. Nice.
Highlights so far were a 7 or 8 year old Rod & Spur from Rockfords, a Lindeman's Pyrus from a similar sort of age. Both very good.
Also enjoyed a few pints at the Nelson in Sydney. Three Sheets then Nelson's Blood. Great to have something a bit more ale-y than the normal Aussie beer, although served a bit cold. Small steps, eh?
In Brisbane now for a bit of cricket, which hasn't been the best so far, although it's only end of day one.
I'm staying in a motel in a district that lacks charm. Surprisingly the on site Italian restaurant is ok, and has a pretty decent wine list, unless you're drinking by the glass or half-bottle, as I am. I am left with a Wirra Wirra Church Block 2008 from McLaren Vale. A youthful deep purple, somewhat indistinct nose and sweet in taste. Average.
Heading off to Adelaide and a couple of days in the Barossa soon. Nice.
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