A Couple of Cracking Reds from Tasmania and Alentejo.

A Couple of Cracking Reds

from Tasmania and Alentejo

Eddystone Point Pinot Noir (Tasmania) 2018, 13%, €24.95, O’Briens Wine

This Pinot Noir, all the way from Tasmania, has a vibrant mid-ruby colour. Strawberry is the major actor in the moderately intense aromas. This juicy red is lively in the mouth, delicately flavoured, with strawberry and cherry, some spice too, and a natural acidity help keep the balance right to the finalé, where the smooth tannins softly tingle the lips and fruit and spice gently and pleasantly linger. 

Purity of fruit was foremost in winemaker Stewart Byrne’s mind during this vintage and he and his team hit the bull’s eye with this one. Very Highly Recommended.

 

Eddystone Point is situated in windswept North East Tasmania and features some of the most uniquely layered terrains on the planet. With its cool climate and prevailing winds it is ideal for growing Pinot Noir.

Eddystone say: One of the hardest of all grape varietals to make, this wine displays all the hallmarks of great Pinot Noir. …The unusually warm Summer and Spring conditions were able to ripen larger than average crops successfully, and vintage was done and dusted in the very short timeframe of just 5 weeks. Harvesting 100% hand picked…. Maturation was 9 months in 25% new French oak and a mixture of older oak. .. Drink now or cellar for up to 3-5 years. First released in 2013, Eddystone Point realises our vision to create wines that are drinkable, affordable and represent the undisputed quality of Tasmanian fresh produce.

Tasmania is a single wine region (Geographical Indication), with seven distinct and diverse wine growing areas. The climate is cool by latitude, not altitude, and the weather is highly variable. Many grape varieties are now found in Tasmania, with producers constantly innovating and experimenting. But Pinot Noir is the star, representing almost half of the island’s plantings for both still and sparkling wine. And those sparkling wines are pretty damn good too!

Marquês de Borba Colheita Alentejo (DOC) 2019, 14%, €17.95 O’Briens Wine

Like many Portuguese wines, this red is a blend; the grape varieties used are Alicante Bouschet, Arangonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The fruit is grown on the limestone and schist soils of Alentejo (a large area with the Algarve to the south, Spain to the east and the Atlantic coast, with Lisbon, to the west).

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And, like many Portuguese reds, the aromas are intense, a concentration of fruit (red and darker berries) and a touch of vanilla. The palate too is fruit-driven but not at all over the top as you’ll find a happy equilibrium between fruit, tannin and acidity. Very drinkable and Highly Recommended.

Marquês de Borba Colheita is made by the family owned João Portugal Ramos. He started his personal wine making project by planting his first five hectares of vineyards in Estremoz in 1988. Now joined by his son and daughter in the business, they have grown to be one of the most important wineries in Portugal.

They say: One of the most emblematic brands of João Portugal Ramos, Marquês de Borba combines the tradition of the Alentejo region with an excellent quality, present since the first vintage in 1997. The brand’s name comes from the happy coincidence of João Portugal Ramos’ vineyards and winery being located in Borba sub-region, and also of one of his uncles having the noble title Marquês de Borba, a title created in 1811. Present all over the world, the Marquês de Borba brand is today a symbol of the Alentejo region.

How Australia's Supportive Winemakers Aided Chardonnay Shine. Eventually.

How Australia's Supportive Winemakers Aided Chardonnay Shine. Eventually.

Shaw and Hill Smith (who said it would hard to beat an actual tasting to illustrate the difference between Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills and that from Tasmania)

The day after Wine Australia hosted a webinar on the 2020 harvest, that very subject came up yesterday in the latest Zoom masterclass, organised by Liberty Wines. Two Australians, Michael Hill Smith (co-owner Shaw+Smith) and chief winemaker Adam Wadewitz, were telling us about Chardonnay and the differences between the Adelaide Hills (where their main vineyard is) and Tasmania where they now own the Tolpuddle Vineyard.

Adam, in Tolpuddle

So how did 2020 go? 

Adam said it was challenging but he had an amazing team “up for it”. “Frost early, rain at the long time, poor flowering and then the fires in December, fear of smoke taint”. Those fires came quite close but helped by the wind and advice from Australia Wine Research, the vineyard got through. While the yield was down, “the fruit was pristine, great flavour and acidity. We don’t have huge amounts in the winery but the wines are spectacular!”

Shaw + Smith, for thirty years, have had two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Now a third, at Piccadilly, is being planted.

In introducing Michael and Adam, Liberty Wines MD David Gleave said it was exciting how Chardonnay had moved from being big and oaky over the last 15 years. “Now there’s a huge diversity with regional characteristics.”

Michael put the development down to movement in many areas of winemaking but especially to a change of philosophy of winemakers away from the big rich oaky wines to something much more subtle and refined.

Adam admitted to being obsessed with Chardonnay. “We have learned along the way, moved the varietal to cooler regions, to cooler sites in those regions… more exposure to international examples has led to an evolution in style and so too has farming the right grapes (including Chardonnay) in the right places.”

Quite a few Australian areas now make a balanced Chardonnay (Margaret River, Yarra Valley, Mornington among them) with acidity part of the mix. Michael: “The fruit is still there but the winemaking is supportive, quiet.”

Michael continued: “Chardonnay has always been part of our story here in the Adelaide Hills but our first wine, in 1990, got away from us. Secretly we were a bit disappointed but five weeks later it was awarded White Wine of the Year!”

Adam: “Chardonnay had an amazing connection with the place, purity, acidity, and it was possible to refine it over the years. The new generation want wines to speak of place. We pick earlier to protect the acidity. I agree there has been real change, not only at Shaw+Smith.”

Is there a definitive Adelaide Hills Chardonnay character? Michael: “I think of a slight ripe nectarine. Not skinny but with mid-palate intensity, weight and length and acidity and that lovely stone fruit character, whereas Margaret River has more pear.”

Shaw+Smith are in conversion to organic. Adam is happy: “More bio-diversity, more healthy fruit, ferment is better.”

Cooler in Tasmania

“We use oak but don’t want to see it in the final wine, hard to explain that to accountants”, Adam joked. “We use it for oxygen, tannin, not flavour. Barrel size is a big thing. We used larger at Adelaide Hills but Tasmania is so good, small barrels are more suitable.”

Their move into Tasmania was not quite in character, according to Michael. “We are not easily distracted; we tend to focus on what works well and Adelaide Hills was successful. I’d heard wonderful things about Tasmania but had never heard of Tolpuddle until our visit. I loved the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and three weeks later we owned it with no real idea of how to manage it!”

When Adam visited, he was struck by the extraordinary acidity (like Mosel or Chablis, according to Michael), the extraordinary intensity of flavour. “It is an exciting vineyard,” said Adam. “Great to work in Adelaide Hills and Tasmania, totally different regions and great to apply our understanding that the vines and the winemaking need a different approach.”

An example of layering, with the "mother" centre,
the" baby" to the right

While the Tassie vines were well planted by professionals, the spacing could have been better. They got around that by the method of Layering. That doubled the number of vines which in turn allowed them manage each vine to produce half of the previous yield, so less stress on the individual plant.

With Tasmania on the agenda, it was inevitable that someone would ask about sparkling wines for which the island is so well known. Michael, a big Champagne fan, said sparkling is 60% of the island’s production and that he really rates them. “We know how to make sparkling and Tolpuddle can do it with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We know how to do it but I’m not convinced that we will.” And one got the impression that both men would tend towards making top notch still wines. Michael said Tasmania is an emerging place, “exciting stuff coming out” of there, even though it is just 1% of total Australian production.

The final questioner asked if an appellation system would help in promoting Australian wine.

Michael: “We do have very strong laws on defining regions and they are well policed. Don’t think Australians will be told what to plant where. Wine Australia does well with the current regime.”

Quite a few other topics came up over the 90 minutes and we may return to those on another occasion. For the present, we can rest assured that, with people like Michael and Adam leading the way, Australian wine is in good hands.

See also

Australia's 2020 Vintage


Links to Previous masterclasses in this current series, all recent:

Biodynamic winemaking with Austria's Fred Loimer

With Giovanni Manetti in Fontodi Chianti Classico

In the Swartland with Charles and Charl. The Spice Route and Fairview.

Chilean Wine Maestro Aurelio Montes

The Day The Vines Died in Alto Piemonte with Luca de Marchi
Matt Thompson's Blank Canvas in Marlborough

Portuguese Grape Varieties with Antonio Braga

A masterclass from Tuscany by wine-maker Paolo De Marchi

Rebooting Armenia's Ancient Winemaking with Zoric Gharabian

Barolo 2016 with Franco Massolino and Giuseppe Vajra

Biodynamic Californian Winemaker Ted Lemon of Littorai

Charles Heidsieck is "freshened up" by Cyril Brun

Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat Details Climate Change Challenges.

Jane Eyre. Winemaker in Burgundy and Australia.

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

Behind the scenes at El Bulli with the men behind the versatile wins of Gallina de Piel

Les Frères Bréchet busy making wine in Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas

Wines from the Edges. Tasmania and the Chilean Coast.

Wines from the edge. Tasmania and the Chilean Coast. 

Pinot Noir and Riesling.

Lo Abarca Riesling 2017, 12.5%, €12.00 Marks and Spencer.

This wine is exclusive to M&S and they call it quirky on the label. It comes from cool climate vineyards in Chile’s San Antonio valley. Here in Casa Marin, the sunny vineyards are cooled by nearby Pacific breezes (the ocean is just a few kilometres away) and that makes them perfect for ripening Riesling grapes with excellent balance.

Wines of South America (2014) described the Lo Abarca area as “unofficial” noting just two producers there, Undurraga and Casa Marin.

This wine has a very light straw colour, tints of green, very clean. Pleasant aromas of circus (lime) and also floral notes. Crisp and refreshing on the palate, yellow fruit plus lime, an impressive natural acidity and a long dry finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Food Pairing 

Winery: Excellent as an aperitif with a delicious fresh ceviche or any type of seafood. Furthermore, it is the best friend for spicy food, like for example a delicious Thai Curry.

M&S: Enjoy this wine chilled with spicy southeast Asian curries or sweet and sour Chinese noodles. 

By the way, in the 2018 awards, Decanter magazine awarded this Riesling its Gold Medal.

Pure South Pinot Noir Tasmania 2015, 13.5%, €16.45 Marks and Spencer

Marks and Spencer say this “this lifted fruit driven style” suits dishes such as pan-fried duck with Asian spices or baked wild salmon. Didn’t do too badly at all with the more accessible (at the time) Christmas turkey. The winery suggests Sushi, charcuterie and lighter red meats.

Colour is the typical light ruby. Aromas are interesting, a little bit savoury, a wee bit smoky, herbs and vanilla too. Bright and vibrant flavours of strawberry, and raspberry and notes of dark cherry combine with a wash of spice to give this elegant wine more heft than you’d expect from the colour. Southern attitude from a very southern latitude gives it a vibrant sense of place.

This one which, according to M&S winemaker Belinda Kleining, has subtle integrated oak to complement the generous red fruit, grew on me. Highly Recommended.