It’s the third year anniversary of the blog, so I decided to celebrate by opening some top wines from Australia and New Zealand.
Down Under Wines
Although I currently live in the Southern Hemisphere and have come to learn a lot about South American wines while living in Santiago, the other wine regions of the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) I probably know the least of all the major wine regions. I’ve never been to Australia or New Zealand either. Thus, the point of this tasting was simply to gain more knowledge about the diversity of Down Under wines, which often get lumped into monolithic stereotypes.
Australia
What I have tried, besides the cheap Aussie wines in American supermarkets that you drink when you first start drinking alcohol like Yellow Tail, has been mostly rich and full-bodied Aussie Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. For this reason, along with images of scorching hot weather in the Outback and decades of Foster’s beer commercials in the US equating Australia with big and tough products, Australian wines have a reputation of making big, high octane wines. However, like much of the wine world, more Australian wines are dialing it back and valuing more balance and elegance.
In addition, other regions and varieties have gained notoriety. Those regions and varieties have different climates, soils and styles. For example, Margaret River in West Australia (south of Perth) is known for their Bordeaux style reds and Chardonnay with its marine influenced, cooler climate. Around the Barossa Valley in South Australia there are other regions that grow top Shiraz and other varieties like Mclaren Vale. Plus, Coonawarra is famous for their Cabernet and unique Terra Rossa (red soil) terroir while there are higher elevation sub-regions like the Clare Valley and Eden Valley where it’s cool enough to grow high quality Riesling.
As you move from the South Australia region around Adeleide to the Victoria region closer to Melbourne, you also have various climates and soils for all types of wines. Notably, it’s one of the places where you can find Pinot Noir, such as in the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Tasmania is also known for its Pinot along with Chardonnay and sparklings. Finally, you have some regions around Canberra and Sydney. The most special is the Hunter Valley, which is famous for making perhaps the best Semillon in the world.
In this tasting, I’m excited to try out top producers of Margaret River Chardonnay, Barossa Shiraz, Victoria Shiraz, Tasmanian Pinot Noir and Hunter Valley Semillon.
New Zealand
New Zealand, with its cooler climate, is best known for their Sauvignon Blanc (especially from Marlborough), which is ubiquitous in the US. I already wrote a post comparing it to Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Additionally, I’ve also had some experience with excellent New Zealand Pinot Noir in places like Central Otago, Wairarapa, Martinborough and Marlborough. I’ve tried excellent Bordeaux blends from Hawke’s Bay too. Although I’ve had some Chardonnay from Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay, I’ve never tried New Zealand’s best region for Chardonnay, Kumeu, around Auckland. Luckily, I found one from a top producer for this tasting.
Tasting Notes
I’m also including a few non-Down Under wines that we tasted to compare the styles and see where Australian/NZ wines fit in the spectrum these days. Another note: all the Down Under wines have screw-top closures, which is a major difference between Down Under wines and most other regions. However, it’s fairly common to find Chilean whites under $20 with screwtops nowadays. Wines are listed in order of how we tasted them. We tasted them blind. Tasting notes are brief since I spent much of the time hosting the lunch and tasting.
2019 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Prelude Vineyards Margaret River
The Art Series Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay, along with the Art Series Cabernet, has been one of the most sought after wines in the country for decades, and features new contemporary art on the label every vintage like Mouton Rothschild. However, it costs around $100. The Prelude is also made from estate fruit in a similar style, but it’s from younger vines and made to be drunk younger. It’s only about $26 in the US. The winery was founded in the early 70’s when Robert Mondavi suggested this site for wine production and helped the owners convert their cattle farm into a vineyard to become one of the founding producers in the Margaret River region.
Wild ferment in barrel. 10 months in 40% new Burgundian oak.
Took some time to open up, but ended up being a vibrant white with a nice balance of oak, malolactic, fruit and freshness. Savory notes also started appearing after a couple hours. Although most guessed New World, they couldn’t rule out Old World because of the balance. Started off like 88 but got to 90 after a couple of hours.
2020 Schwaderer Chardonnay Itata Costa
Fermented and kept for 17 months in used (3rd & 4th use) French oak barrels with 100% malolactic. Sourced from Kingston’s vineyard in Itata. About $16-20 in Chile. Similar to the previous time I tasted this but a little more subdued. Probably too cold. I gave it 91 a month ago. Said it was sort of like piña colada with tropical notes, oak influence and a round creamy body. Yet it doesn’t lack freshness despite not having overt acidity. Today it’s 90. An exotic style of Chardonnay that wouldn’t be confused with Old World Chardonnay. It’s not a butter bomb California Chardonnay either. I wouldn’t even say it’s typically Chilean. Chilean Chardonnay can come in different styles. It’s unique in that sense, which is part of the appeal.
2019 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay New Zealand
Kumeu River makes some of the top Chardonnay in the world. In fact, it placed third in a blind tasting among many of the top Burgundy Chardonnay. Their single vineyards, like the Mate’s that competed with top Burgundy, go for $50-100. However, this estate bottling is a mix of their estate vineyards and sells for around $20-30. It’s run by the same family that first planted vines here around 80 years ago.
Wild ferment in barrel. 11 months in barrel (20% new), extended lees time, 100% Malolactic. Blend of 6 estate vineyards.
My favorite of the Chardonnays. Most minerality. Salinity. Lots of acidity. Yet with ripe fruit too. Open for business immediately. With mild oak notes and medium, creamy texture. The bottle was finished quickly, so it’s the only wine I couldn’t try on the second day. Similar to the Margaret River overall, but more expressive and minerally. 92
2016 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon Hunter Valley
Tyrell is widely considered to be the standard bearer in Hunter Valley Semillon, and the Hunter Valley is considered by many to be the best expression of this variety. The Vat 1 cuvee features only their best estate plots. The top Hunter Valley Semillon are also said to be better with some age and can improve for 10+ years. After 5-7 years, the color gets darker, and it gains toasty and beeswax notes. This typically sells for around $50.
Dry farmed old vines. Some are over 100 years old with the winery history dating back to 1864; Minimal time on lees. No oak at all. No malolactic.
Light color and body. Bone dry. Sour apple. A bit of beeswax. Some salinic minerality reminding me of Riesling. Vibrant and intense on nose and palate. Lots of acidity (3.1 Ph). Low alcohol at 11%. My favorite white of the tasting. In some ways simple since there’s no added oak, lees or malolactic and yet so much going on with potential to improve. Sounds like an oxymoron, but there’s elegance, lightness, simplicity yet complexity and power. Unique. 93+ Second day, a little more waxy on the nose with floral, honey notes. There’s more body on the palate and more salinity. On the third day, there are toasty notes and diminished acidity.
2022 Roberto Henriquez Molino del Ciego Semillon Itata
100% organic Semillon from 90 year old vines. Destemmed. Skin-contact fermentation. Nose has that orange wine leafy, spice but also fruit and floral notes while the palate is less obviously skin-contact and more fruit driven with plenty of acidity but with a streak savory notes and spice. The color was not full-orange but darker than any normal white. Completely different style of Semillon from the Hunter Valley, but one that is becoming more popular in Chile from a grape that used to be one of the most planted in Chile. Expect a Chilean Semillon article soon. 91
2017 Domaine de Montille Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies
A historic domaine that makes top whites and reds these days. Biodynamic. Large proportion of whole clusters used. Some new oak.
A bit cloudy, looks unfiltered. That’s partly why it fooled me into thinking it was a low-intervention Pinot from Casablanca tasting it blind. Some minerality but mostly about fresh red berry fruit. Light and elegant but expressive. Good acidity. 91
2021 Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir Coal River Valley, Tasmania
This is the newest producer of the Down Under tasting with their first vintage being 2012. However, the owners, Shaw and Smith, have been making wine from the Adelaide Hills for decades. Many consider this to be the top Pinot Noir in the country. Tasmania is the coolest Australian wine region, so it’s capable of making Pinot for Burgundy lovers. In fact, Jancis Robinson even reported that the head of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti once said he felt compelled to taste their wines at an event a few years ago given all the buzz around them. Retails for $50-75.
The name Tolpuddle comes from the history of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were essentially agricultural labor organizers in England in the 19th century that were convicted for obscure charges to break up their labor union. They were sentenced to Australia. Because of the massive protests in England, they were eventually pardoned and allowed to return back, which was rare back then. One of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, a Methodist preacher, was sent to Hobart, Tasmania. The Coal River Valley is about 20 minutes from Hobart.
Combo of whole berry, whole bunch fermentation. French oak for 9 months (⅓ new).
More fruit and intensity overall compared to 1er Cru Beaune but the same amount of acidity. Some baking and herbal spice from oak and stems. A little more oak influence and less “terroir.” Some found it reductive with post-secondary fermentation, but I didn’t really get any fizz. Maybe some reduction. Overall, I didn’t think it was far off from the Beaune but just bigger overall. Still primary though. I was expecting more savory and earthy notes too, but it’s still young and there’s lots of potential. 92+ 2nd day, some floral notes emerge. Some chalky minerality too.
2013 John Duval Plexus Barossa
John Duval was the long time winemaker for Australia’s most famous, oldest and high quality label: Penfolds. This is his own label of course. He also consults for Ventisquero, so his label is one of the few Australian wines you can find in Chile. About $30 in the US, but about 50% more in Chile. Plexus is a Shiraz dominated GSM blend, but he also makes a Plexus white with Marsanne, Viognier, and Roussanne and two varietal Shiraz called Entity and Eligo.
54% Shiraz, 32% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre; 15 months in French oak. Color showing some age. Although there’s some heat at first, it fades. Medium+ body. The texture is silky smooth at this stage. It’s still primary. Lots of red and dark fruit, but not overdone with medium+ acidity. Not a lot of oak influence or tertiary notes from aging yet. 91 On the second day, there’s more dried fruit notes, spice and meatiness, so secondary and tertiary notes starting to come in.
2019 Jean-Baptiste Souillard Syrah Rhône Vin de France
Jean-Baptiste Souillard is a young Rhone winemaker who has worked alongside another up and coming winemaker from Burgundy, Benjamin Leroux. Since he sources his grapes from various old vineyards for this bottling, it’s labeled Vin de France rather than a specific Rhone appellation. However, he has other cuvees from specific appellations like St. Joseph, Cornas and Cote-Rotie and specific vineyards. Low-intervention. Uses some whole bunch fermentation which is common in Burgundy and traditional Northern Rhone Syrah. Retails for $30-40.
Vines are 30-40 years old. Native yeasts. Pump-overs. Aged for 13 months in old oak barrels, unfined, unfiltered. Quite fruit driven with a bit of spice, some licorice. But surprised how fruit driven it is given the whole clusters. The acidity and slightly lighter, lower alcohol profile takes you away from Australian Shiraz, but it’s not far off from the two Australian Shiraz in terms of fruitiness. I was expecting more spice and savory notes though. 90 On the second day it’s more savory on the nose. Peppery.
2019 Best’s Great Western Bin No. 0 Shiraz Victoria
Although not as famous as Penfolds, it has been earning respect for its wines for almost as long. Penfolds was founded in 1844 while Best’s planted their first vines only 24 years later. I was drawn specifically to their Bin 0 cuvee because it is made from the oldest vines of the estate. Some vines date back to the late 19th century. They’ve been making Bin 0 for over 100 years. It’s aged in their best oak barrels. It’s a wine that can age decades, so we are almost certainly drinking this too young. Despite the pedigree, this only retails for $50+.
Also fruit driven like the French Syrah, but darker fruit. Smooth. No sense of heat but you get glycerin. It’s fuller than the French Syrah but still only medium+ bodied. Medium acid. Good concentration of fruit. More structure than the Duval at this stage but very drinkable now with no hard edges. More oak influence here with vanilla and spice notes. Still waiting for more savory notes to emerge. It’s still focused on the fruit. 92+ On the second day, like the Souillard, the nose has more savory and spicy, mesquite notes. More oaky spice though. And still more fruit overall.
Conclusion
Our Australian friend at the tasting says that Best’s, John Duval and Tyrrell’s are well-known in Australia since they also make wines at the lower price ranges with wide distribution. I always prefer to drink what locals drink, so these wines are unlike Fosters beer, which is not that popular in Australia. However, even Australians and Kiwis might not know all the diversity they have in their own countries.
Not only did all the Down Under wines in this tasting show their diversity, they also showed their long history and mastery of their varieties and terroir. Therefore, even though some of these regions and varieties might be new to you or me, they are part of a long tradition of quality winemaking in Australia and New Zealand. That’s not to say there aren’t also pioneers Down Under exploring different expressions of different varieties and terroirs such as the Australian Nebbiolo I tried a couple of years ago. It’s just that New World places like Australia and Chile are often stereotyped as being new and made in one modern style even though they have history, old-vines, diversity and innovation.