Chris Shanahan's wine reviews: summer picks for every palate
Swinging Bridge 'Mrs Payten' Chardonnay 2013, Balmoral Vineyard, Orange, NSW, $32, 4½ stars/96
With an altitude range of something like 500 metres, the Orange region produces a spectrum of wine styles. Chardonnay performs well in the cooler sites – in this instance the Balmoral vineyard, at 870 metres. The wine topped its class at the 2014 Orange wine show and went on to win trophies as best chardonnay, best white and best wine of the show. Winemaker Tom Ward captured the delicious grapefruit- and nectarine-like varietal flavour of cool-grown chardonnay, with the added textures and subtle flavours derived from maturation in high-quality oak. (Available at swingingbridge.com.au).
Angullong Shiraz 2013, Angullong Vineyard, Orange, NSW, $19, 4 stars/92
In contrast to the high-altitude Swinging Bridge chardonnay, Angullong's shiraz comes from the lower, warmer edge of the Orange district. The 220-hectare vineyard varies between 580 and 620 metres. Since the regional boundary includes only vineyards at 600 metres or above, Angullong literally rolls in and out of the Orange region – a bizarre situation, but one that at least acknowledges the primacy of growing temperatures in determining wine styles. The shiraz shows the generosity of a warm and benign season in a still-cool climate. The brilliant, crimson-rimmed colour and vibrant summer-berry flavours make compelling, medium-bodied drinking right now.
Redman Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Redman Vineyard & Winery, northern Coonawarra, South Australia, $27.55-$32, 4 stars/94
Bill Redman arrived in Coonawarra in 1901, just 10 years after the first vines had been planted in the area. In 1908, after a period working for John Riddoch, Redman struck out on his own. I have haunting memories of an ethereal and lovely 1919 vintage Coonawarra red, thought to have been made by Redman. His son, Owen, joined the business in 1937, and in 1952 the family founded Rouge Homme wines. They sold the business to Lindemans in 1965 before establishing Redmans, releasing the first wine under the label in1966. Owen Redman's sons and their children continue to run the vineyard and winery today. Their 2012 cabernet sauvignon, a pure expression of the Coonawarra style, displays pure, ripe-berry varietal character with firm, fine cabernet tannins.
Hahndorf Hill Winery Cru Gruner Veltliner 2014, Hahndorf Hill Winery, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, $28,
Hahndorf Hill owners Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson identified a fit between Austria's late-ripening gruner veltliner and their elevated, continental-climate vineyard site in the Adelaide Hills. In Austria, they write, "vignerons all place huge emphasis on one crucial quality-defining factor – significant diurnal variation … the combination of good ripening days and cold nights that allows for an extended growing season … coaxing out its famously pure flavours and aromatics". Jacobs and Dobson now have a run of successful gruners behind them. The latest has citrus-like aromas and a full, dazzling-fresh, dry palate – a bit like a full-bodied riesling, but with a different flavour and a pleasant bite in the finish.
Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz 2010, Grampians, Heathcote and Bendigo, Victoria, $17.90-$18.8, 4 stars/92
Seppelt developed and popularised Australia's love-it or hate-it sparkling shiraz style from its Great Western cellars in western Victoria. Some, like me, tend to see it as a waste of good shiraz. Others love the idea – and flavour – of a real red with bubbles and a lick of balancing sugar. They also like the idea of a red wine you can chill and drink in hot weather. The wine begins as a regular shiraz, mellowed in oak casks and steel tanks for a short time, before undergoing secondary fermentation to produce the bubbles. The 2010 looked good at a recent tasting, and I understand the 2011 and 2012 vintages are also in the market.
Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 52 2013, $21.80-$22.90, 3½ stars/88
Woolworths' Italian import (sold through its Dan Murphy and BWS outlets) looked good in a pre-Christmas sparkling tasting. Its light body (11.5 per cent alcohol) and clean, fresh fruitiness provided refreshing, undemanding drinking. A creamy, mouth-pleasing texture, bone-dry finish and typical Italian tartness added to the appeal. It makes no pretence to be anything other than a light and easy-drinking sparkler to enjoy now. Made from the prosecco grape, it comes from Valdobbiadene in the northern Veneto region.