At Home with Robin Day

October 2017 Newsletter

At home with Robin Day

Reminisces of Bruce and rare wines from Robin Day. Thirty four members and guests gathered at our home base for our annual commemoration of our founder Bruce Thiele. The welcome wine was a Cooper Burns 2013 ‘Mason’ Shiraz accompanied by finger food and cured & smoked meat wraps. Ian welcomed the new and returning guests and intro- duced our guest presenter for the night Robin Day. Robin had worked with Bruce for over 20 years and was pleased to say a few words about him and propose the toast. He noted We were pleased to that Bruce started at the bottom but soon became a welcome the following key person in the marketing of Orlando wines. One of first time guests: his ‘innovations’ was increasing the number of places  Steve Crow & one could have a drink! He was an adept facilitator  Bryan Dean (guests and someone you could rely on—always organised. In Robin’s of Simon Granfield) words “A champion bloke”. He was toasted as usual with a glass  Bede Mackie (guest of Orlando’s 2003 BJT Shiraz. of Lindsay Stevens) Our first wine to taste was Robin’s Domain Day 2002 Mt Crawford And returning guests Viognier. In Robin’s words Viognier is a ‘honorary red wine’. This  Greg Bollmeyer one was surprising for its  John Noble age with deep colour and  Lindsay Stevens still a mouthful of flavour. It We hoped they enjoyed is unwooded and 2002 was the night and will come again!

Coming up:

 November: Steins Taphouse Photo Credits: Steve Blee & Ian Cooper  December: Christmas at Kies Editor: Ian Cooper At home with Robin Day his first vintage of this variety. His vineyard is in a cool area and this vintage was particularly cool and the grapes had to be picked not quite ripe. We then tried the Domain Day 2013 One Serious Mt Crawford Pinot Noir. It was a serious Pinot—more full bodied than many Pinots. We then moved on to the 2004 Saperavi—an unusual wine originally from Georgia. If your geography is a little rusty it is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. Robin regaled us with his foray into Georgia some 18 years ago. It was a joint venture with a Dutch group to set up commercial winemaking. There was nothing there and everything had to be brought in. He de- cided refrigeration was needed and the equipment was to come in a container. This had to be ‘tracked’ as containers had a habit of going missing in Georgia. He had also to convince his Dutch partners to spend the $80,000 ‘on spec’ (the Dutch having a reputation of being careful with their money). At the time Robin was working in California and the South of France and he met a Dutch colleague in Amsterdam and they headed for Georgia. Robin was concerned about his lack of visa but was assured it would be sorted out when he got there. The flight was on a 40 year old wood panelled aircraft and flight service was the hostess supplying a coke from an esky. On arrival he had to hand in his passport for the visa (it seems it was necessary to get out rather than in). They were met by the local head of the venture—a member of the parliament and a war he- ro. He flashed a plastic card and the policed saluted and their passage was easy. The wine region was only 60 Km from Tbilisi but it was a three hour journey in an ancient vehicle with a stick gearshift and a ‘crunch’ gearbox. The Domain Day 2002 Saperavi has held up well with a distinctive nose and a mellow taste. We followed it with the 2008 Saperavi which was more robust. The final wine was the Domaine Day 2003 One Serious Mt Craw- ford Merlot. Again a robust wine. At home with Robin Day Bob & Jenny produced a meal of Saltbush scrub beef, Shepherd’s Pie topped with Turmeric Potato, hot pumpkin with red cabbage Caesar Sal- ad, Garlic Bread & Nipper's crusty loaves. Which went down well with the remainders of the tasting wines and some more of the Mason Shiraz. Following the main course it was time for Rory’s Muscat challenge. Once again we tasted Rory’s own barrel against one from Morris of Rutherglen. Although the winery is now owned by Casella Family Brands. David Brown (5th Generation) remains the wine maker. David’s father brought back some of the museum stock which pleased Rory. Robin also knew Mick. Once again there were a variety of opinions which Rory collect- ed on his feedback form. The Muscat was accompanied by a choco- late and sweet platter. Prizes Winners of the door prizes were Steve Crow, George Akkerman and Bob Greening.

Photos The wines

Welcome Wine—Cooper Burns 2013 Mason Shiraz “The Barossa Valley has proud of family generations tending their vineyard and making fine wine. This wine is a tribute to those past, present and future generations that carry on the family tradition. We’ve named this Shiraz after Mason, part of the next generation of Cooper Burns wine makers. Traditional winemaking techniques, including open fermentation and basket pressing, have been used to handcraft this intensely rich, full bodied wine with a luxuriant palate and im- peccable balance from the gnarly vines of the 6th and 7th generation Barossa grape grow- ers.” Medium garnet in colour. A lovely fragrant nose of cherry, strawberry, green peppercorn and spice. The medium bodied palate is packed with bright red fruits, followed by soft tannins and peppery spice, all working in harmony with wonderful texture and mouthfeel. Im- mediately enjoyable, but will develop beautifully over the medium term. Alcohol 14.0% / vol. RRP $20 Toast to Bruce—Orlando 2003 BJT Shiraz In memory of Bruce James Thiele, Barossa Baron. A special release wine of only 500 cases in memory of a great Barossan sadly missed.

Domain Day 2002 Mt Crawford Viognier Wine Companion tasting note for the 2003 vintage. James Halliday (none available for the 2002) Clearly expressed varietal character; an attractive range of ripe and dried fruit flavours; good balance; not too phenolic. Domain Day 2013 One Serious Mt Crawford Pinot Noir. Wine Companion tasting note. James Halliday- Published on 06 Oct 2016 777, 114, MV18, Oberlin, Entav 542 and Coralloid clones; 30% whole bunches, Burgundian yeast (absorbs less colour/phenolics), matured in French hogsheads. The most unusual bouquet and palate with pine needles and mint threaded through red fruits. Alcohol: 13.5%, Rating: 90.Price $35 Domain Day 2004 Saperavi, Domain Day 2008 Saperavi Alcohol: 12.5%, Rating: 86.Price $28 Wine Companion tasting note for the 2005 vintage. James Halliday (none available for the 2004 or 2008) Still holds the deep colour for which the variety is named and known; it also still has the mouth-ripping dry tannins of its youth. Saperavi is a fairly rare commodity here in Australia, yet Domain Day have made an art form of producing one of the most interesting and unique dry reds from this variety originally from Georgia. Deeply coloured due to the grapes dark skin and flesh, the wine ex- udes a concentrated richness with copious blue and black fruits. Best enjoyed with a hearty meal. (Dan Murphy Site) The wines cont.

Domain Day 2003 One Serious Mt Crawford Merlot Wine Companion tasting note. James Halliday - Published on 21 Jul 2011 Olive, spice and cedar aromas; considerable depth and structure; fine but persistent tannins; be patient. Rating: 90. Price $28 Domain Day's Merlot is one serious Merlot indeed! The cool climate influence generates ripe dark berry fruit flavours and a savoury black olive character. The palate is generous and concentrated with intense ripe fruit characters of red berries and plums. As well as robust fruit flavours on the palate it finishes with a generous rounded tannin texture which will ensure its longevity. (Dan Murphy Site) The wines cont.

Viognier Viognier is a white wine grape variety. It is the only per- mitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhône Valley. Outside of the Rhône, Viognier can be found in regions of North and South America as well as Australia, New Zealand, the Cape Winelands in South Africa and Israel. In some wine regions, the variety is co- fermented with the red wine grape Syrah where it can contribute to the colour and bouquet of the wine. Like Chardonnay, Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied wines with a lush, soft character. In con- trast to Chardonnay, the Viognier varietal has more natural aromatics that include notes of peach, pears, violets and minerality. However, these aromatic notes can be easily destroyed by too much exposure to oxygen which makes barrel fermentation a winemaking technique that requires a high level of skill on the part of any winemaker working with this variety. The potential quality of Viognier is also highly dependent on viticultural practices and climate with the grape requiring a long, warm growing season in order to fully ripen but not a climate that is so hot that the grape devel- ops high levels of sugars and potential alcohol before its aromatic notes can develop. The grape is nat- urally a low yielding variety which can make it a less economically viable planting for some vineyards. The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown; it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia (present day Croatia) and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend states that the Roman emperor Probus brought the vine to the region in 281 AD; another has the grape packaged with Syrah on a cargo ship navigating the Rhône river, en route to Beaujolais when it was captured, near the site of present-day Condrieu, by a local group of outlaws known as culs de piaux. The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. The most common namesake is the French city of Vienne, which was a major Roman outpost. Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of the via Gehennae, meaning the "Road of the Valley of Hell". Probably this is an allusion to the difficulty of growing the grape.[5] Viognier was once fairly common. In 1965, the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhône producing just 1,900 liters of wine. The popularity and price of the wine have risen, and the number of plantings has increased. Rhône now has over 740 acres (3.0 km2) planted. [4] (note: this section refs. Acreage figures that conflict with figures for same dates below (30 acres in Regional Production below vs. 8 in Rhône region in 1965). In 2004, DNA profiling conducted at University of California, Davis showed the grape to be closely re- lated to the Piedmont grape Freisa and to be a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo. In Australia, Yalumba is the country's largest producer of the grape making both a white wine varietal and making extensive use of the grape in its Shiraz blends. Yalumba grows the grape in the loam and clay soil of the Eden Valley. Other areas with Viognier plantings include Nangkita, Clare Valley, Rutherglen, Murray River, McLaren Vale, Geelong, Nagambie Lakes, Canberra, Mornington Pen- insula, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Geographe, South Burnett, Yarra Valley (Pimpernel Vine- yards), Pyrenees and Tenterfield. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viognier The wines cont.

Saperavi Saperavi (Georgian: literally "paint, dye, give color") is an acidic, teinturier-type grape variety native to Georgia, where it is used to make many of the region's most well-known wines. It is also grown in small quantities in the Niagara and Finger Lakes regions of New York State as well as former USSR countries. Its leaves are 3-lobed, large, and roundish. The berries are medium to large, elliptic or round depending on the type, dark bluish, and thin-skinned; with a maturation period of approximately 5 months and moderate productivity. It is an extractive wine with a characteristic bouquet, a harmonious taste, and pleasant astringency. Its alcoholic strength ranges from 10.5-12.5% and titrated acidity 5-7%. It is known to have been in production since 1886. Saperavi grapes produce very deep red wines that are suitable for extended aging. It has the potential to produce high alcohol levels, and is often blended with lighter varieties. It is by far the most dominant Georgian red grape in terms of overall production. Saperavi is a hardy variety, known for its ability to handle extremely cold weather and is popular for growing in high altitude and inland regions such as Kakheti. It is a teinturier grape, containing the red anthrocyanin within the grape pulp as well as the skin and is unusual in being one of very few such grapes used in single-varietal winemaking. The Saperavi grape originated in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia and now is spread throughout its entire territory (Kakheti, Saingilo, Kartli, Shavshet-Klardjeti, Imereti, Guria, Racha and Lechkhumi). Georgia is known as one of the oldest winemaking regions of the world, with archaeological research showing evidence of cultivation dating to 6000 CE. The Saperavi variety is one of the oldest cultivars from the region, and has consistently been the most important in Georgia's commercial winemaking industry. Saperavi grapes are used predominantly in Georgia, but have spread to other regions of Eastern Eu- rope more recently (Purcari, Moldova). Saperavi cultivars are also being grown in New World wine regions, notably in Finger Lakes, New York area vineyards. It has shown promising results for a few grow- ers in Australia, where it was pioneered in the King Valley Region of North East Victoria.

The wines cont. Rutherglen Muscat Few wines can elicit a response on first tasting quite like Rutherlgen Muscat. The multitude of aromas, the incredible depth of flavour on the palate, and a finish that seems to linger for an age... the first sip of Rutherglen Muscat is a memory that stays with a wine lover for life. The Grape There are more than 200 varieties in the muscat family, but only one is used to make Rutherglen Mus- cat - the high quality Muscat a Petits Grains Rouge (muscat with little red berries). The local winemakers refer to it simply as Rutherglen Brown Muscat. The Making of Muscat To make the world's richest wine it stands to reason that you need ripe fruit. Very ripe fruit. Rutherglen enjoys a particular advantage in this regard, with our climate perfectly suited to the task of ripening muscat. The period around vintage (March, April, May) is renowned for being mild, sunny and stable in and around Rutherglen; often referred to as an 'Indian Summer'. This allows the muscat fruit an extra period of 'hangtime' on the vine, resulting in the impossibly high baumes (measurement of natural fruit sugars) required for Rutherglen Muscat. Soil and topography play a role also. Whilst the key flavours of muscat are common to all, certain vineyards and soil types promote certain characters. The lighter sandy soils following the Murray River (known locally as the Wahgunah Belt) often produces more highly perfumed wines with delicate fruit characters. The grey/brown Rutherglen loam found on higher grounds generally results in richer, heavi- er and headier wines. In the winery the fruit is sensitively handled and fortified with a natural grape spirit. From here the wine starts a journey in barrel that may last as few as 5 or as many as 105 years. Young, fresh and fruity Rutherglen Muscat is often bottled at around five years of age (see The Classification below). The very best muscat is essentially impervious to age, and can develop in barrel for many generations as a base component for future blends. Rutherglen Muscat is rarely bottled as a single vintage wine. More often it will be a blend of many vin- tages that have been ageing in the winery. The ageing process can vary from winery to winery, but most employ a modified solera system; a graduated ageing process where wine is transferred slowly from barrel to barrel over a number of years before finally being bottled. Climate is the key reason why muscat works so well in Rutherglen, but history plays a big role also. You simply cannot replicate more than 150 years of family winemaking, and many of the regions wineries have precious stocks of muscat handed down through three, four and even five generations. And of course the value of time lies not just in the wine, but the knowledge that accumulates over that period as well. Each muscat house has been able to hone their craft over a long period of time, and develop a highly identifiable 'house style'. Skilled winemakers in the district need little more than a quick sip to place the origins of a wine; they have their makers mark all over them. Source: http://www.explorerutherglen.com.au/rutherglen-muscat/