These included:

2009 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon- A classic Coonawarra Cabernet with a generous fruit character and a fine tannin structure.

 2009 Bowen Estate Shiraz- A generous, mouth filling wine with dark berry fruit flavours and fine tannins.

 2009 Petaluma Chardonnay- The Piccadilly Valley has the coolest and most Burgundy like climate of South Australia with free draining, aerobic red soils. The result is a very textured wine with lovely lingering acidity

2010 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling -A delicate, floral wine, displaying typical minerality and lemon lime intensity, rounded out with a slatey, minerally finish.

 2008 Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir-  Made with fruit sourced from vines over 25 years old, the Reserve Pinot Noir showcases the layers and complexity, coupled with a richness of flavor, that are evident in the Pinot Noir varietal.

 2009 Stonier Chardonnay- A fruit driven, early drinking style: fruit sourced from younger vineyards cropped at under three-tonnes to the acre.

 2008 Stonier reserve Chardonnay- Made with fruit sourced from some of the oldest vines (over 25 years) to achieve elegance, complexity and length of flavour.

 Villa Maria Private Bin Lightly Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc- A lightly sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, bursting with gooseberry, passionfruit, citrus, melon and nettle-dominant herbaceous aromas.

 Bollinger Grand Anee 2002- The Prestige cuvee of Champagne House Bollinger. Only produced when exceptional quality harvests occur, and is the expression of Bollingers know-how.

 2008 Tamar Ridge Pinot Gris- Flavors’ of ripe pears and marzipan, with a lovely mouth feel and fleshy texture.

2009 Henschke Gewürztraminer- Sweet, ripe, floral aromas of lychee and Turkish delight perfumed with stone- fruit characters.

2007 Taltarni Pyrenees Shiraz- A perfect example of the Pyrenees regions benchmark style. Sourced from mature and carefully nurtured Shiraz vines from Taltarni’s Estate.

Champagne Ayala Zero Dosage NV- The best expression of the style of a great Champagne house.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the FWP team for their mammoth effort in putting together such a wonderful afternoon, and the Red Bottle Team look forward to next years!

Dan H

Tried the new 2011 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc, matched with variety of small yum cha dishes. Was young and fresh with loads of clean citrusy acid and restrained fruit.

Also tried the Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay, big bold chardonnay with butteryfrench oak and well balanced melon and  honey tones.

Last but not least the Shaw & Smith Shiraz, trophy winning wine. Very powerful for a cool climate wine. Complex and rich with spice and fruit balanced with fine tannins.

Ryan Demosthenous,

Recently I was fortunate enough to attend a lunch at one of Sydney’s finest steak restaurants, Chophouse, hosted by one of Australia’s most highly respected viticulturists, David Paxton. 

 On arrival we were greeted with a glass of Paxton Rose 2010, a perfectly balanced, fruity without being sweet Rose that was the ideal aperitif.

To complement our entrées we enjoyed Paxton Pinot Gris 2010. A very dry style Gris, no danger of this wine being confused for the fruity Gris coming out of Marlborough NZ at the moment! This Gris is much more in the French Alsace style.

Between courses we were served Paxton Thomas Block Chardonnay 2009. A typical McLaren Vale chardonnay, big and rich but with plenty of melon fruits perfectly integrated with oak.

Moving into the reds we started with the award winning Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 2009. It’s easy to see why this wine is so popular; the Grenache softens out the Shiraz making it an easy drinking, fabulously more-ish red.

Whilst tucking into our wonderful Chophouse steaks we enjoyed the Paxton Jones Block Shiraz 2008. Once again David Paxton has produced another typical McLaren Vale wine with this Shiraz and one that would rival any Shiraz under $50 currently on the market.

To finish our dining experience they saved the best till last, the Paxton EJ Shiraz 2007. Named after David’s Mother, Elizabeth Jean and sourced from 100 year old vines, it is velvety and smooth with a long dry finish. This wine was the perfect way to end our fantastic dining experience!

Duncan

Some of the wines tasted on this evening were the following:

2010 Pewsey Vale Riesling

A rich and intensely flavoured wine. Classic fruit aromas on the nose with talcum, crushed stone and limes and a hint of dried herbs. The palate shows great length and depth with lemon and limes. The wine finishes with a soft but fresh natural acidity which balances the flavour intensity and a minerality that will reward medium to long-term cellaring.

2010 Running with the Bulls Vermentino

A pale green straw, with fresh aromas of Nashi pears and dried herbs, grapefruit zest and just a hint of seaspray. The wine has a fleshy yet savoury palate with flavours of white peach and grapefruit pith acidity supported by a very textural finish.

2010 Opawa Pinot Gris

Produced from premium quality fruit grown on the Wairau Valley floor’s stony soils. The wine is pale straw in colour with a fragrant bouquet showing pear and floral aromas with a hint of spice. The palate shows lime, pear and white peach flavours with a generous but soft finish.

2008 Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz

Dark red in colour with an aroma of mixed forest floor flavours, balanced with dried plums and an earthy, savoury complexity. This medium to full bodied Shiraz wine has a balance of red fruits and earthy, cedar textures and finishes with fine, earthy tannins.

2008 Smith & Hooper Cabernet Merlot

The bouquet in this wine shows bright red fruits such as cranberries and cherries along with subtle cedary oak nuances. The palate is lively and fresh supported by silky tannins and savoury briar characters carrying the wine to a long finish.

2008 Ringbolt Cabernet

The nose displays fully ripened fruit with red berries, curry leaf, cassis and oak barrel spiciness. This wine is generous and inviting, opening to plush red fruits building to a full mid palate fleshiness then leading to a complex meld of fruit, briar and edgy tannins.

On behalf of the Red Bottle team, I would like to extend a warm thanks to the Golden Century staff for their impeccable service, and the team at Samuel Smith & Son for a highly enjoyable evening with some excellent wines!

DFH.

Some of the standout wines available were the Skimstone wines from Apple Tree Flat, Mudgee. These included:

Skimstone 2010 Chardonnay- Zesty fruit characters with tones of pineapple and melon.

Skimstone Sangiovese Rose 2010- Fresh strawberry and cranberry fruits on the palate. Balanced dry finish.

Skimstone Barbera 2010-Dark cherry and blackcurrant character with a vanilla undertone. Smooth with lovely dry finish.

Skimstone Tre Onde 2010-A single vineyard blend of classic Italians varietals, with a layered palate of sour cherries and dark fruits.

Also held on the day was the 5^th Annual Pyrmont Art Prize, with over 300 pieces of art on sale, as well as roving entertainers, and a performance stage hosted by ABC Sunday Today presenter Whitney Fitzsimmons.

The day was a fantastic success, with a lot of fun to be had, and the spectacular Pyrmont harbor as the background. The Red Bottle team is eagerly looking forward to an even bigger and better event in 2012.

MDF

Oxford Landing Jetty

In early April 2011 a group of retailers and restaurateurs from Sydney were flown to South Australia to visit Oxford Landing Estates as guests of Samuel Smith & Sons, including two Red Bottle members. First stop on the trip was the Yalumba Nursery in Angaston for a tour and tasting with Oxford Landing winemaker, Matt Pick. Wines sampled included; Oxford Landing Chardonnay, Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc, Oxford Landing Pinot Grigio, Oxford Landing Shiraz and Oxford landing Merlot. My pick was the Oxford Landing Shiraz which represents fantastic value for money, retailing at under $10 per bottle!

The next part of the trip was a relaxing cruise down the Murray River by houseboat, made all the more relaxing by the icy cold Pewsey Vale Riesling served to us liberally by the legendary Peter Sawrey! For dinner we met up with the vineyard team at the actual Oxford Landing site on the banks of the Murray. The highlight of the dinner had to be the freshly caught yabbies which went surprisingly well with the Yalumba Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon.

The following morning we met up with the vineyard crew again for a tour of Oxford Landing Estates vineyard and a brief (but detailed!) discussion on environmental sustainability with Robert “Fred” Strachan. After that we started our trip back to Adelaide via the Yalumba Winery at Angaston for lunch and more wine! To complement our freshly cooked Italian pasta we enjoyed the new Running with Bulls Vermentino and Smith & Hooper Cabernet Merlot. Before we left Angaston we were treated to the highlight of the trip, a tour through the Yalumba Private Cellar. Wow! Room upon room of every vintage of iconic wines such as Yalumba The Signature, Yalumba The Menzies, Yalumba The Reserve and even the very first vintages of Pewsey Vale Riesling.

What a fantastic way to end the trip and what a great experience overall, and many thanks to the Oxford Landing and Samuel Smith & Sons teams for their outstanding hospitality!

D.G.M.

A great selection of wines from France, Spain, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and more awaited me. Here’s the pick of the bunch for me.

New Zealand

Palliser Estate Methode Traditionnelle 2006 Sparkling wine – Great structure and depth – an extra few years in bottle goes a long way.

Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir 2008 –  An awesome winery with another fine Pinot Noir made in the Nuits St George French style; smooth, complex and will always have you asking for another glass.

Valli Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 - Here’s a cracker from a sub-region of Central Otago; amazingly seductive perfume and elegant mouthfeel, and this beauty shows just that. The nose and palate are ripe and fragrant displaying red/black cherry, spice, mushroom and a touch of dried herb characters.

Dry River Lovat Syrah 2006 Martinborough - My wine of the day. I heard about this wine a few years ago, but this was my 1st time trying. Amazing depth of character and finesse. Very Rhone like in structure; every glass reveals more secrets.

France

Marc Bredif Brut Vouvray NV – Really fresh and quite appley in style, a perfect alternative to regular Champagne’s at half the price.

Louis Bouillot Perle Bourgogne Mousseux Rouge NV – Sparkling red made from Pinot Noir and Gamay. Sensational at under $30 retail

Hugel Gentil 2009 Alsace – Made with Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and a few more on the side. Very aromatic and floral in style. Really inviting wine.

De Ladoucette Sancerre Blanc Comte Lafond 2009 – A great vintage and it shows here. Crisp, clean and beautifully balanced. Not cheap at over $60 retail though.

Chanson Vire Clesse 2009 – Really dry style that begs for food.

Les Heritiers Du Comte Lafon Macon Villages 2009- Really lemony, hard to believe it’s made from Chardonnay.

Doamine William Fevre Chablis Vaillons 2009 Premier Cru – Lots of mineral and stonefruits as you would expect from a good Chablis. Wonderful balance and worth $65 + if that’s in your budget.

Olivier Laflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2007 - Much more in the traditional Aussie Chardonnay style. Not a white for everyone, but I loved it. Great with a meal. Again at $85+ retail it’s a special occasion wine.

Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Les Grasses Tete 2008 (Pinot Noir) – A really strange nose here, but the palate was very memorable. Soft elegant and ouzing class. More please.

Chateau Thieuley Blanc 2010 - A blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux. Interesting to try this again, Margaret River styles. Really dry but really inviting too. Every sip opens more complexity. Great value at $30+ retail.

Chapelle de Calon St Estephe 2006 - A quality Bordeaux made in the feminine elegant style. Ready to drink now. Love to buy some.

L’Hospitalet de Gazin Pomerol 2007 - Really power in a glass here, lots of Cabernet Sauvignon present. Quite different from the St. Estephe. One to age, but approachable now too.

Guigal Condrieu 2009 – Made from the white grape Viognier; lots of tropical fruits with apricot overtones. Needs food, but what a treat!

Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2007- Simple easy drinking style; hard to fault at $25+

Chateau de Beaucastel Coudoulet Cotes Du Rhone 2008 – Delicate and almost Pinot Noir like (even though it’s made from Shiraz and Grenache) top value at $55+

Perrin et Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards 2006 – One of my top 3 wines on the day. Lovely and smokey but really deep and savory. Ready to drink now or keep if you can!

Doamiane La Roquete Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 – A prettier and slightly more elegant wine than the Sinards previous. Lovely balance.

Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008- Really approachable surprisingly as a lot of Chateauneuf’s are tough to drink up to 7 or 8 years of age. Up to 12 grape varieties used here and it shows. Grab if you can, if you have $120+

Spain

Torres Ibericos Rioja Crianza 2007 - Remarkable balance for a cheaper wine. Vibrant and fresh. Oak (American) in perfect balance with lots of Tempranillo savoury characters.

Cien Y Pico Tintorera Doble Pasta 2008 – Grenache and Tintorera used here. A bit too fruity and uninteresting for me, but a good introduction to Spanish wines.

Maurodos San Roman Mauro – Toro Prima 2008 – Red Toro 90% + Grenache 10% – Almost Cabernet Sauvignon in style surprising at the end. Very interesting.

Italy

Antinori Orvieto Classico Secco Campogrande 2009 (white) – Very Grigio in style, light and lean. Lovely summer wine and cheap too at under $20!

Masi Masianco 2009- Pinot Grigio blended with Verduzzo. I like it a lot. Really clean and fresh with lots of limes and lemons.

Lis Neris Pinot Grigio 2008 – I always thought Italian Grigio was a light bodied wine until I tried this one. Much fuller in style, rich with layers of complexity. $50 retail and it shows.

Fattoria La Braccesca Sabazio Rossi di Montepulciano 2008 – A little simple, but a good quaffer.

Serego Alighieri Possessioni Rosso 2008 – Nice and dry, made for food. A touch of sauvory smoke on the finish added complexity.

Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico 2008 – Very approachable, hard to fault.

Poderi Aldo Conterno Masante Langhe Dolcetto DOC 2009 – Ripe and concentrated, excellent and ready to drink too surprisingly. $40+

Tenuta Dell Ornellaia le Volte 2008 – A little young, but coming together nicely. Give it another 12 months to uncover a cracker.

Prunotto Barbaresco 2006 – Again hard to score as it’s too young. These wines age amazingly though so worth the investment.

Pieve Di Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino 2005 - Lovely, almost sweet mid-palate with all the smoky savoury characters you’d expect from good Sangiovese. One of my top 3 of the day. I wish I had $90+6 to buy one!

Masi Contasera Amarone DOC 2007- Great to try the new vintage of such a popular wine. Smoother and leaner than I expected. Hard to fault. Made with the Ripasso method of drying out alot of the grape before pressing.

All in all an awesome day, with a few surprises and new wines.

DD

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the beautiful Marlborough region of New Zealand’s South Island to attend the Giesen Last Row Harvest Party. As the guest of both Negociants and Giesen wines, I had an outstanding time filled with excellent wine, food and company.

A morning bus trip to the various vineyards owned by Giesen, as well as their state of the art winery, provided us all with a new insight into Giesens wine-making practices and ethos. Their venturing into new varietals such as a Marlborough Syrah, grown with an ecologically conservative approach, had many participants talking, as did the impressive knowledge of viticulturalist Nick winter and winemaker Anna Kingscote.

A visit to Giesen Estates magnificent Wallace House provided us with opportunity to try the full range of Giesen wines, from the entry level Estate range, the more premium Brothers range, and the outstanding August, a traditionally fermented Sauvignon Blanc, named in honour of the Giesen brother’s grandfather.

Some standouts from this tasting were the 2009 Giesen Brothers Pinot Noir, the 2010 Giesen Estate Riesling, the 2009 Giesen August Sauvignon Blanc, and the Giesen Brothers 2009 Chardonnay.  We were also given a sneak preview of the upcoming vintage, including some recently gathered tank samples.

Whilst in the region, we were treated to a boat tour of the stunning Marlborough Sounds, including a visit to a working green lipped mussel farm. We came away from this experience with a new understanding of the importance that the Sound plays within the entire Marlborough area, as well as a new appreciation for freshly cooked mussels.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the Giesen and Negociants staff for the outstanding experience, and congratulate them on another successful vintage.

D.H.

As a guest of the Australian wine distributer, Young and Rashleigh, we ‘Red Bottlers’ spent 5 days meeting winemakers, viticulturists and wine company owners from such esteemed wine estates as; Teusner Barossa, Astrolabe Marlborough, Maxwell  McLaren Vale, Yealands Estate of New Zealand, Longview Adelaide Hills, Howling Wolves Margaret River, Helens Hills Yarra Valley, Neudorf New Zealand, Seesaw Wines Australia and Paxton Wines McLaren Vale.

It was a fantastic few days, with a wide array of different wines from all of the attending producers sampled across the one week period, where a healthy dose of business and pleasure, combined.

We managed to further enhance our already strong relationships with alot of these producers, and gained an even greater understanding of their winemaking and wine growing philosophy throughout the week. This is a truly invaluable tool for us to pass on to our many Red Bottle customers.

We quickly grew to understand that these are a great bunch of people, making many exemplary wines. Impossible to pick a standout wine, as too many immediately spring to mind- both from here in the wide brown land, as well as many from across the “ditch”.

One element that did stand out, was the strong expression of regionality, that all of these wine brands deeply emphasize in one, or many, of their different products.

Bali’s broad culinary spectrum really spoilt us for choice, which meant we ended up in some very enjoyable restaurants throughout the week. Whether it was Indian, Balinese, Indonesian, modern western cuisine- whatever- we were never without the perfect mixture of matching wines, due to the wide range available in our caché of Aussie and Kiwi wines ……..Teusner Barossa Shiraz with a Balinese Chicken Curry…I didn’t know if it would work …but guess what, it really did!

A huge thanks to Young and Rashleigh Wine Merchants as well as Cuttings Wine Merchants, and all of the wine producer representatives that were in attendance. A very memorable experience for all the right reasons!

W.F.

Parker Coonawarra is situated in the southern end of the Coonawarra, in the centre of South Australia’s Limestone Coast Wine region. It’s 3 1/2 hours south of Adelaide. Established in 1985 on the famous ‘terra rossa’ soils they plant mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Merlot, Chardonnay and Petit Verdot. Their flagship wine ‘First Growth’ takes it’s name from the long establish Bordeaux concept of ranking wines of excellence (starting with first growth).

On tasting were 5 Parker Terra Rossa Merlot’s from vintages 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 & 2006

All different, and all oozing with character and class. Hard to find a winner just like it’s hard to find a consistent Merlot anywhere in Australia.

Also on tasting were 5 Parker Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon’s from vintages 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 & 2006.

There was a lot more consistency of flavour and style here. Obviously the younger ones were quite tough to drink now, but had all the hallmarks of good wines to keep in your cellar for 7+ years.

Finally on tasting were 5 Parker Terra Rossa 1st Growth’s from vintages 1999,2001, 2004, 2005 & 2006.

One could really see how (a) great wines develop over years and really deserve their mighty prices ($100+) and (b) how Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon together work in perfect harmony to fill out your palate completely and give a wine real depth. Cabernet Sauvignon is all about structure, tannins, depth (and cassis fruit characters) that helps a wine age gracefully. Merlot on the other hand fills out a wine’s mid palate fruit character’s. Merlot with it’s upfront fruits helps wine drinkers get stuck into these wines younger, as they really shouldn’t be drank for 8+ years. The younger years (2005 & 2006) have a small proportion of Petit Verdot added for extra complexity. In my opinion it really works in the blend, adding extra violet aromas and richer palate. Stunning wines, from one of Australia’s best wine regions.

DD