includes this Summer’s sparkling review

LIQUOR BARONS PREMIUM WINE BUYING GUIDE - summer 2016 On the Vine summer 2016 1 Summer’s Snippets & Cuttings

We’ve bundled an eclectic bunch of table wines here to help you over the warm months ahead. There are a few labels to have on standby when friends drop in for a quickie and then there are some wines that are different and promise you intriguing drinking over the holiday period. Whatever you decide on, they are cracking quality and at a price you’ll appreciate. We’ve done all the tasting over the last three months and selected the best wines, now you can do the drinking. Happy Christmas and you’ll hear from us early in the New Year. Cheers! Rod Properjohn This Summer’spick of the bunch

Harewood Estate 2016 Porongurup (AU) Clairault 2014 (AU) Arguably the best locale for riesling in the Great Southern, the Quality wine from WA’s foremost chardonnay region Margaret Porongurup region is high in altitude with a continental climate, River. Shows oak fermentation/maturation treatment along with that is cool during the day and cold at night. It’s how riesling likes it. the fruit of peach, nectarine and grapefruit. The palate is This has varietal citrus fruit and a fine, almost delicate palate with long and dry. Drinks well now but will be at its best in a couple of fruit sweetness that extends to a crunching acid finish. Magnificent years. Try with pork belly, simply oven-roasted with crisp crackling. with freshly shucked Albany oysters when in season.

$19.99 single bottle $17 99 each in any six $24.99 single bottle $2299 each in any six 2 On the Vine summer 2016 has been meeting every fortnight for the last 15 years. Delivery of a vast selection of new hopefuls are unpacked and secured in blind tasting bags at a secret location known only to the selected few. Over the years literally thousands of wines Castle have passed the lips of our veteran experts. As it is with the creation of all good wines, the On The Vine selection takes time. This time and Rock experience is the Panel’s dedication to bring you only the best wines from across Australia and the World. There is a world of wine out there and it’s waiting for you to take the first step, let the Estate panel make that introduction! The Panel The

Winemaker Robert Diletti makes wine for nine other contract wineries including Dukes, Shepherds Hut, 3drops, Montgomery Hill, Oranje Tractor, Zarephath, Abbey Creek, Hillbrook and Shepherds Hut. Other than Castle Rock wines, the contract wines consistently do well in James Halliday’s Wine Companion, Castle Rock has a had 5 Red Star rating for many years! As well as receiving many awards for his wines, Rob also has achieved many personal accolades, including receiving an award for the Young Winemaker Leading Light Award in 2006 and being a finalist in Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year Awards in 2012. Perhaps his greatest achievement to date was being recently named the inaugural Winemaker of the Year in James Halliday’s 2015 Wine Companion! This Summer’s pick of the bunch

Castle Rock 2016 Great Southern Chardonnay (AU) Castle Rock Estate 2016 Porongurup Riesling (AU) A modern light style of chardy, this has classical stone fruit, a Wonderful Porongurup wine that shows citrus/grapefruit and a smidge of citrus and a waft of smokiness from oak fermentation. long structural core of minerality and acidity. Our experience says The palate is long, steely and tight with fruit waiting to evolve with the wine improves dramatically about twelve months after bottling, bottle aging. Try with char-grilled marron (fresh-water crayfish) so start drinking it in autumn and then continue over the next ten with a squirt of fresh lime. years, taking a couple of breaks along the way of course. Brilliant with pan-fried whiting.

$18.99 single bottle $1699 each in any six $25.99 single bottle $2299 each in any six On the Vine summer 2016 3 white & rosé

The Pass 2015 (NZ) Stanrock 2015 Sauvignon Blanc – Single Vineyard (NZ) By Vavasour, this has a bucketful of tropical fruit mixed in with Amazing value in this Marlborough wine full of grassy notes and gooseberry and a dollop of citrus. The palate has the Marlborough snow pea characters. Tropical fruits, guava and passionfruit, give footprint of lightness, freshness, herbal lift and zingy acidity. way to leafiness as the wine wanders along a pleasant length to a Another good value wine that suits light seafood with an Asian- soft finish. Fun with a dish of mussels steamed in chilli, garlic and a style dressing. splash of the savvy itself.

$14.99 single bottle $1399 each in any six $18.99 single bottle $1699 each in any six

Flametree 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (AU) La Villa 2015 Pinot Grigio (It) This is a serious food wine, a blend that’s had a solid workout in the From Treviso and the eastern vineyards of the Veneto region of winery. Different yeast strains, whole berry use, barrel and solids northern Italy. This uncomplicated light white has a pleasant fresh ferment - it goes on. The result is a complex textural dry wine with pear fruit characters, some nuttiness and a dry clean palate that a little grippy tannin. It’s savoury and quite dry and has really good would suit a large number of simple summer seafood dishes. Good length. Great foil for a seafood risotto. value here!

$17.99 single bottle each in any six $1699 $18.99 single bottle $1699 each in any six 4 On the Vine summer 2016 Domaine Naturaliste 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Nautilus 2015 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (NZ) A precocious youngster with an iridescent colour. The two parts The presentation of this wine is all class from the label to the wine in savvy and one part semillon guarantee a mix of grassiness, guava the bottle. It’s up a notch or two with the subtlety of melon and citrus and citrus and two months on lees in seasoned oak barrels is not blossom marrying to the subdued tropical fruits of the variety. The obvious but adds mouthfeel and softens zesty acid. It’s a lovely palate has a light creamy texture, which enhances the mouthfeel. Try drink and will be difficult to put down on a warm summer afternoon. with whitebait fritters.

$19.99 single bottle $17 99 each in any six $25.99 single bottle $2299 each in any six

La Maschera 2016 Rosé of Granaxia (AU) Domaine des Légèrers 2014 Mâcon-Villages This is as pale as a Clinton face on election night. You’d be excused Belcombe (Fr) for thinking it’s an imported rosé, by its label, appearance and From Macon, the value-region of Burgundy and from its famous taste. It’s as Aussie as ‘pie and sauce’ however, a Barossa wine and white grape, chardonnay. This has a delightful nose, some cheesy is very quaffable. Pale pomegranate in colour, it’s at the savoury lees characters, smoky wood and a finely focused palate of citrus, end of pink wine with a little dustiness, red berry fruit, has texture light oak and a decidedly acid finish. Pleasant wine for the price. and is dry to a clean finish. Try with smoked salmon.

$19.99 single bottle $17 99 each in any six $27.99 single bottle $2499 each in any six

Maude 2016 Pinot Gris Central Otago (NZ) Rimauresq 2015 Côtes de Provence Rosé (Fr) Pale straw in colour with a light bready nose and stone fruit. Partial A light salmon pink, this is lively, savoury and dry with a long palate oak fermentation has lifted this out of the simple fruit-driven and tantalising acidity on the finish. We recommend you buy only spectrum into a textural, more complex wine. There’s a little youthful rosé like this one, as the style can age quickly and lose firmness on the palate and the finish is dry and tart. Goodwith quality. Most pink wines are best when they’re fresh. Ideal with quality fish and chips. canapés.

$23.99 single bottle $2199 each in any six $29.99 single bottle $2699 each in any six On the Vine summer 2016 5 red wine

La Bohème 2015 The Missing Act Cabernet & Friend (AU) Kilikanoon 2014 Killerman’s Run GSM (AU) By De Bortoli and made from their Yarra Valley fruit, this is a Made using the three classic Rhone red varieties grown in Clare and gulpable young red with plum, cherry and spice bundled up with matured in older oak for 16 months. It’s spicy and savoury with sour subtle oak, pliable tannins and soft acidity. It’s all about cheerful plum and blueberry, powdery tannins and firm finish. As it’s bottled drinking around the barbecue. It’s a party wine. without fining and filtering, it may throw sediment as it ages and require decanting. Serve with charcuterie.

$21.99 single bottle each in any six $19.99 single bottle $17 99 each in any six $1999

Domain Barossa 2014 Black Tongue Shiraz (AU) Frankland Estate 2015 Shiraz (AU) A dazzling deep ruby colour, this has a bright blueberry fruitiness Delectable cool-area Great Southern shiraz with bright red plum with spicy oak, dark chocolate and a balance of tannins and acid. and cherry fruit, a smidge of leafy tobacco, integrated oak and A terrific example of generous Barossa shiraz. Enjoy with spicy persistent spicy flavours to a dry tannin finish. The completeness barbecued beef ribs. Good value here. of the wine has you coming back for more. Magic with a retro pepper steak. .

$21.99 single bottle $1999 each in any six $24.99 single bottle $2299 each in any six 6 On the Vine summer 2016 Warramate 2015 Yarra Valley (AU) Vasse Felix 2014 Filius (AU) We often mistake this label as being Kiwi born and bred, but it’s Distinctive Margaret River cabernet with black olive, leafy dinky-di from the Yarra in Victoria. There’s fine pinot characters eucalypt and the ubiquitous varietal blackcurrant. The structure of cherry, strawberry and spice woven into a tapestry of smoky is solid with chalky tannins up front, middleweight palate and oak, silky texture and crisp acidity. You simply can’t beat pinot a lengthy dry tannic closure. Wonderful with lamb, especially noir and pan-fried pink duck breast as a duet. There’s your sticky shanks and creamy mashed potatoes. match. $26.99 single bottle $2499 each in any six $26.99 single bottle $2399 each in any six

Stonier 2015 Pinot Noir (AU) Hardy HRB 2014 D647 Cabernet Sauvignon (AU) Brilliant mid-red in colour and an enticing nose of juicy strawberry/ A multi-regional blend of cabernet sauvignon. Beautifully balanced, cherry mixed with funky meat stock. The palate is a dreamy balance it has blackcurrant, chocolate, spicy French oak for complexity and of red fruit, spice, gentle tannins and light cedary oak. Stunning with ripe tannins and drying acidity for structure. Savoury brambly char-grilled quail. Here’s quality Mornington pinot at a good price. characters add a touch of intrigue. A quality red for a quality herb- coated lamb rack.

$27.99 single bottle $2499 each in any six $31.99 single bottle $2899 each in any six

Glenmore 2012 Isabella (AU) Bishop 2015 Shiraz by Ben Glaetzer (AU) Deep ruby brick this Yallingup (Margaret River) blend has Deep ruby colour with a truckload of youthful ripe red fruit, benefitted from bottle aging with dusty mellow red fruit aromatics sweet oak and licorice. It has everything a Barossa Valley red and a rounded palate with good balance of tannins, oak and acid. wine lover enjoys with firm grainy tannins, anise, chocolate Drinks well now, especially with a traditional leg of lamb, mint and satisfying finish to balance. Worthy partner to a steak and sauce and favourite veg. kidney pie.

$26.99 single bottle each in any six $2499 $34.99 single bottle $3199 each in any six On the Vine summer 2016 7 sparkling

It’s a tough time for Australian sparkling winemakers, the Italian fizz Prosecco is going crazy and Champagne (the real stuff) is selling at better prices than a decade ago. Buyers are ignoring Oz bubbles. It’s all about price and although this is important, your panel is more interested in quality and has a ripper selection of wines for you. There is a couple of stunning Italians here that you’ll love and the classic well-known French labels are still as sharp as ever. A few of the smaller and newer Champagne labels were disappointing at our recent tastings; they suffered from poor transport and/or warm storage. Then there was a refreshing wine from Swan Valley producer Sittella. Young winemaker Yuri Berns is doing magical things here with bubbles, he sources the best possible fruit, utilises up-to-date equipment and the result is top-quality fizz. It doesn’t travel any great distance and that’s a bonus for local consumers as sparkling wine is very delicate - it’s not a good traveller. His wine is thoroughly recommended and we’ll be drinking a bit of this over summer. Remember you must clean and polish your sparkling wine glasses thoroughly to enhance the bubbles and to drink these wines at their best. Serve at around 8 degrees, although the more serious vintage Champagne is better about 12 degrees. Salut! Rod Properjohn

8 On the Vine summer 2016 Brown Bros Pinot Noir Chardonnay 42° South Premier Cuvee (AU) Pinot Meunier Brut (AU) Born and bred in Tasmania, this has all the features we love A long-time favourite which, as usual, doesn’t disappoint in sparkling wine – lots of bubble, a yeasty complexity, creamy in flavour or price. It has a brilliant appearance, buckets of texture and refinement to boot. A little strawberry and effervescence, good yeasty bouquet and a gutsy palate. From apple (well, it is Tasmanian) add to the flavour. Smart when King Valley Victoria, truly an affordable Oz sparkler of quality. accompanying the local ocean trout. Ideal summer quaffer or mixer. $27.99 single bottle $2499 each in any six $19.99 single bottle $1899 each in any six

Natale Verga Prosecco (It) Sittella 2012 Marie Christien Lugten Grand Vintage (AU) A youthful pale straw this is delightfully fresh with citrus, floral notes Being entrenched in the Swan Valley hasn’t deterred Yuri Berns and a little nuttiness. It has an attractive palate with fruit sweetness from making quality fizz. He sources the best fruit (this is from and clean acidity and is great summer drinking, especially in the late Pemberton) and the wine is as fresh as an oven-hot croissant. It’s afternoon or pre-dinner. Mix with peach nectar for a famous Venetian bright, has an explosion of tiny bead, is dry, has great length of Bellini cocktail. flavour and the complexity of four years on bottle lees. Wow!

$21.99 single bottle $1999 each in any six $29.99 single bottle $2799 each in any six

Salatin Prosecco Treviso doc Extra Dry (IT) Louis Bouillot NV Brut Blanc de Blancs (Fr) Pale lemon colour and insanely fresh, this erupts in the glass with This is a sparkling wine of Burgundy, not Champagne and is lively bubbles and displays lemony fruit aromas and some poached made from white grapes (mainly chardonnay). It is very similar pear. The palate is long with citrus and apple and has a delightful in style however to Champagne without the price tag. There cleansing finish. Serve with your choice of antipasti. are doughy yeast characters, citrus and green apple fruit and a . lovely fine acidity to finish. Ideal aperitif in warm weather.

$21.99 single bottle $ 99 each in any six 19 $29.99 single bottle $2799 each in any six On the Vine summer 2016 9 MAISON RUINART DOM RUINART Dom Thierry Ruinart was an intuitive, visionary, hardworking, and modest Benedictine monk who lived from 1657-1709 and was a contemporary of Louis XIV. A brilliant theologian and historian, at the age of 23 he left his home in Champagne to go to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, one of the most influential centers of learning near Paris. While there, he was exposed to the city and court where he gained an awareness of a more worldly life and in- particular he learned of a new “wine with bubbles,” not yet known as champagne, which was already popular among young aristocrats.

Dom Ruinart was an author of scholarly works, but also had a taste for the contemporary and his inquiring mind went hand in hand with a keen business sense. Throughout his life, he would visit his brother and home in Champagne and these diverse observations instilled in him the conviction that “wine with bubbles” produced from the vines of his native soil – also known as “vin de mousse” or sparkling wine – had a promising future. He passed on this conviction to his brother and his nephew.

In 1729, twenty years after the death of Dom Ruinart, Nicolas Ruinart, Dom Ruinart’s nephew, founded the first Champagne House, Maison Ruinart, and forever ingrained his uncle’s name and the house in the history books. THE FIRST CHAMPAGNE HOUSE Nicolas Ruinart, a Reims draper like his father, started his first account ledger devoted to “wine with bubbles” on September 1st, 1729.

This ledger serves as the birth certificate for the first Champagne House ever created. The first bottles of “wine with bubbles” produced were intended as gifts for Nicolas Ruinart’s clients who purchased cloth and fabric.

However, Nicolas was a sophisticated businessman and he had adopted his uncle’s pioneering vision and ambition for “wine with bubbles,” and just six years after the initial bottles were produced he found success.

In 1735, Maison Ruinart concentrated on the burgeoning champagne trade. This became Nicolas’s sole occupation and growth was exponential with 170 bottles sold in 1730, 3,000 bottles in 1731, 36,000 in 1761, and onwards. 10 On the Vine summer 2016 Veuve Bonneval Brut Précieux Champagne (Fr) Louis Roederer Brut Premiere Champagne (Fr) Mid-straw and bright with an impressive rush of bubble. Non-vintage Champagne doesn’t get much better than this. A Wildflowers and toasted bread persist on the nose and the palate beautifully balanced wine, this is brimming with flavour and is focused on freshly baked brioche, subtle citrus and stimulating creaminess, yet has built-in delicacy and is delightfully crisp on fresh and lively acidity. A drink-anytime wine or serve with a the finish. Absolutely perfect when served with the freshest of selection of sushi. sashimi.

$46.99 single bottle $4399 each in any six $79.99 single bottle $7499 each in any six

Janlsson et Fils Champagne Brut (Fr) Ruinart Brut Champagne (Fr) Here’s a creamy example of a pinot noir and chardonnay fizz with a Top-shelf bubbles with a brilliant mid-straw colour and tinge of subtle fragrance of citrus and stone fruit married to a waft of aromas green. It lacks nothing in effervescence and pours with a creamy from a baker’s oven. The palate harnesses light fruit, baked bread mousse. Singed toast and brioche are the highlights with a gentle complexities and soft acid. Freshly shucked oysters anyone? roasted nutty flavour that persists to a crisp finish. Try with fresh crab on crouton. $59.99 single bottle $5599 each in any six $99.99 single bottle $8499 each in any six

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Brut Rosé De Blancs Lallier 2008 Grand Cru Brut Champagne (Fr) Champagne NV (Fr) A vintage wine from one year only needs to be from a top We loved this pink champagne. The polished copper/salmon colour quality harvest, and this is. The colour of the wine shows great delights the eye, the steady stream of bead titillates the nose and depth (straw/green), the nose has typical richness and yeasty tongue and the palate is stimulated by subtle cherry fruit, a silky complexity and the palate is a riot of toasty flavours, creamy texture, freshness and dry cleansing finish. The chardonnay fruit textures and stone fruit with balancing acidity. Magical with has only 6% pinot noir added, hence the (hopefully) explanatory quickly seared fresh scallop. descriptor. Brilliant with salmon roe on blini. $74.99 single bottle $ 99 each in any six 72 $92.99 single bottle $8699 each in any six On the Vine summer 2016 11 Specials end 28/2/17. While stocks last. Pics for illustration purposes only. OTV Magazine published by Liquor Barons Co-Op Ltd. - Suite 4/40 Churchill Ave, Subiaco, WA, 6008. Tel 08 9380 9077

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12 On the Vine summer 2016