Meghan Williams & Stewart
Dawes, with help from scores
of drinking buddies including
wine experts Ronnie Stricke and Adrian Read, review a selection
of Australia's best organic wines, along with wines which are biodynamic,
preservative-free or low-allergenic ...
Rosnay Organic Wines 2007
Rosé
Mystically imbued with the soul
of a smokey sunset, start on this at 5 or 6pm and with luck you'll
sense what we mean. Or sail through it with a good Thai dinner,
floating on the well-rounded palate, sweet and sultry on the journey
to mild mellowed intoxication. Good aromatics with cherries and
plums. Rosé is usually made by “bleeding off”
the juice of the red grapes in order to concentrate the colour from
the skins into the remaining juice, and to make the remaining red
wine more intense in colour. The result of this is often that a
certain amount of hard, herbaceous tannin is still found in the
pink juice, which can only be concealed or balanced by making the
wine sweet. Perhaps this explains the abundance of sweet rosé
on the market, usually at good prices. The Rosnay Rose, in contrast,
meets the modern consumer's desire for a dry wine which is cleansing,
refreshing, crisp and fruity - and rounded but not sweet. This organic
Rosé is nature made liquid, water and the earth's minerals
turned into magical wine. The organic aspects helps that glimpse
of heaven wink back at you - nature is great, treat her well and
she will kiss you back blessedly. http://www.rosnay.com
Grancari Estate Old Vine
Grenache 2004
If grenache
has an Australian home, it's McLaren Vale, and therefore you can
be
confident right from the outset that an organic grenache from this
region is destined
to please. McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness,
elegance,
structure, power and complexity and all such attributes are on display
as this drop
drifts across the palate. The old vines were planted in the 1940s
- and present
owners Rino and Greta Ozzella (since 1983) have achieved full organic
certification
by using organic fertilisers, natural vineyard maintenance and by
crushing only
organic grapes from the family estate. Not only does the old wood
enhance the
flavour, but grown on a westerly slope thereby catching the afternoon
sun, facing
the ocean and the mixture of light loamy soils with limestone ridges,
all help to create
rich full-bodied wine. We here at Sydneycafes.com.au already loved
grenache
deeply, now it's simply perfect to know we can drink it organic.
On another
occasion we polished off Grancari's fab shiraz also ... www.grancariwines.com.au
Tamburlaine 2006 Gestalt
SauvignonBlancSemillon
Few could dispute that this is one
of the best organic whites on the market.
Immediately attractive with a sweet yet easy-going bouquet and a
first taste of
honey, gooseberry, perfume and pineapple, there's some other mystical
element
which makes you just want to swig it across the palate fast and
get it down the
throat. It delights all angles of the tongue and has a strange positive
clawing
- more please! The improvement in the Tamburlaine brand is stratospheric
and
if this "sauvignonblancsemillon" is symptomatic
of the direction they're heading
in, then this is a label to watch for reasons beyond the simple
fact of their organic
motivations. What's also charming/alluring about these folk, embodied
in the
fresh energy of winemaker Mark Davidson, is that they appear to
be enjoying
themselves big time in everything from the sentiments on the label
to the
expanded versions on the tasting notes. We approve - we can taste
the
flavour known as 'enjoyment'. www.tamburlaine.com.au
Thistle Hill 2003 Basket
Press Shiraz
This is a delicious four-year-old
shiraz with a bouquet of fresh blackcurrants and
spice. The palate has lovely soft tannins with berry, plum and chocolate
flavours
balanced with sweet American oak. This wine won a silver medal at
the 2006
Mudgee Wine Show. Drink 2007-2013. Well worth contrasting with their
elegant 2002
Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon which has a bouquet of mint and
blackberries
and sweet American oak. The palate is complex, with fresh berry,
spice and oak
flavours developing into a long, lingering finish. This cabernet
won a bronze medal
at the 2006 Mudgee Wine Show and is also the first cabernet made
by winemaker
Lesley Robertson. The Robertsons are strong advocates of sustainable
farming
and use no insecticides, herbicides, weedicides or synthetic fertilisers
in the 27-acre
vineyard. As a result, Thistle Hill has been classified as organic
by NASAA (National
Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia) since 1993. Drink
2007-2012. www.thistlehill.com.au
Retief 2006 Gundagai Shiraz
There are good organic wines, there
are bad organic wines, this one is right
up there with the best. Organically nurtured since its establishment
in 1997 by the
Retief family, their small Winbirra vineyard is located south east
of Wagga Wagga in
the Gundagai Region’s beautiful Kyeamba Valley where vines
were first planted
in the early 1840s. Their over-arching philosophy is to allow the
grapes’ natural
characters to develop with minimal intervention, reflecting the
sense of “place” as
well as seasonal variations. This minimal sulphur, vegan shiraz
is full-bodied
and luscious with winemaker Chris Thomas drawing our attention to
the blackberry
and licorice highlights. As Francois and Lyn Retief state in the
notes, "being
passionate about maintaining a holistic approach to life in general,
and land
stewardship in particular, we have chosen to conduct the whole property
in
harmony with biodynamic principles." Accordingly full Biodynamic
certification
status was attained in March 2006, while ongoing revegetation and
regeneration
enhance biodiversity throughout the property by increasing habitat,
nourishment and shelter for cattle, predatory birds and wildlife
as well as soil
microbes ... all of which impact positively on the grapes. Of equal
influence is
the timing of seasonal activities - such as pruning and harvesting
- which are
carried out in accordance with principles based on Rudolf
Steiner’s
philosophy. This really is a special wine, and since they don't
have a
website yet the best way to try this stuff, at our absolute recommendation,
is by calling them on (02) 6922 1618. And heck, 14% alcohol ....!
Semillon, the grand old dame of
Hunter white, and Verdelho, the fresh face
in the Valley, unite across the generations in this delicious wine.
On offer is a
medium weighted palate supporting fragrant aromas and flavours with
a lovely
even texture. The cleansing citrus characters harmonise delightfully
with moreish
floral and fruit characters of orange blossom and ripe nectarine,
making this wine
enjoyable to drink on its own, or even better with food. Very Gestalt!
Particularly
recommend almost any seafood dish, otherwise Asian cuisine, salads,
chicken or
pork would also go well ... - Andrew Saw. www.tamburlaine.com.au
Tamburlaine Gestalt Cabernets
2005
Tastes like you can quite comfortably
drink two bottles, so clean is this wine's
palate. "But, one moment," interjects Alonya Soboleva,
our Russian co-imbiber-
on-the-night, "what’s all this on the label about Gestalt?"
She’s a financial consultant,
perestroika has worked … she seeths attitude, passion and
sales belief direct from
Moscow apartment culture. "Very purple label," continues
our Gorbachevian graduate
in that very matter-of-fact way which is babooshka and cute all
at the same time.
"It reflects the reality that this is a mulberry wine, not
so much a red wine." Now she's
saying weird shit. "Let’s talk about brand awareness,
says this beautiful maiden, as she
starts to out-Yeltsin even the bear himself. Lively label, favourability,
the organically
harvested grapes are their
point of parity, difference, but … what are 'cabernets',
plural? Picasso image is exceptional, signed by the vigneron, fantastic,
but … is it
drinkable? Very sensual, she replies, taste very strong, but the
name of the grape,
cabernet singular, should appear according to tradition, she insists.
www.tamburlaine.com.au
Krinklewood Hunter Valley
Chardonnay 2005
Vignerons Suzanne & Rod Windrim
have handcrafted this lovely drop using only
premium free run juice together with fermentation at cool temperatures
to retain
all the fresh lively fruit characters. Barrel fermented in Troncais
French oak
barriques with a component of wild ferment, this chardy is straw
in colour with a
fine bouquet of peach and grapefruit, entwined with subtle hints
of luscious toasty
oak. The grapes have been grown using biodynamic viticulture, and
like many of the
best organic wines, traditional fining using milk products have
been utilised so traces
may remain, and the preservative 220 is there which can cause allergic
reactions in some people. Can be enjoyed now, although it will benefit
greatly
from several years careful cellaring. Krinklewood's website is well
worth
checking out, where they recommend drinking this wine with "herbed
organic chicken breasts cooked with Krinklewood Verjuice" and
where
you can become aquainted with some of the other excellent wines
they're presently producing. www.krinklewood.com
Robinvale Wines Demeter
2005 Auslese Lexia
Robinvale Wines have been operating
since 1976, and for many years when people
thought organic wine, they were the first brand, and sometimes the
only brand,
that spilled out of people's mouths. Now there are so many new organic
wine
producers in Australia, it's good to see that Robinvale aren't resting
on their laurels,
but continue to be innovative, leading the way with interesting
new varieties. First out
of the case, we decided to chill their 2005 Auslese Lexia Sweet
White, and once out
of the fridge it didn't last long. This is just so drinkable, very
enjoyable, it tastes of
fun and not taking life too seriously. This luscious drop's palate
features ripe and
delicious tropical fruit with honeyed muscat characters. Suitable
for vegans and
vegetarians, it's non-cloying and balanced with fine cleansing acid.
As a
Certified Demeter Biodynamic wine, it's been produced using environmentally
friendly,
ecologically safe biological methods to activate and nurture the
life of the soil, without
the use of artificial or synthetic chemical pesticides, fungicides,
weedicides, fertilisers
and other unnecessary additives. That's fantastic of course - and
in this case, even
better, because it's a tasty aromatic drop and a very accessible
way to begin a
journey into the healthy realm of organic viticulture. www.organicwines.com.au
Captains Creek Organic Wines 2001 Chardonnay
This family-owned and operated vineyard
in Daylesford, Victoria produces
hand-crafted premium quality certified organic wines from the Burgundian
grape varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their 2001 chardonnay
has a
gorgeous, fresh taste with hints of honeydew melons and cashew nuts
persisting
within subtle but classy oak characters. Barrel fermented with natural
malolactic
fermentation, it's a full-bodied, well-balanced wine with great
intensity.
No chemical additives are used throughout the wine-making and the
essential
preservative sulphur dioxide has been kept to a minimum. www.captainscreek.com
Kalleske Wines 2004 Clarry`s Barossa Red
In South Australia`s celebrated Barossa Valley, the Kalleske family have been farming and growing grapes since the 1800s. A blend of Grenache (80%) and Shiraz (20%), this is one of the best organic reds we`ve tasted. Already critically acclaimed, this rich ripe fruity drop has a quality of density which makes it a delicious delight to appreciate, with very soft tannins but an overall muscularity to the shiraz. The nose shows uplifting aromas of ripe raspberry, cloves and sweet spice, an appetising prelude to a delightfully mouthwatering genuine family estate wine. www.kalleske.com
Pig In The House 2004 Organic Cabernet Sauvignon
We just LOVE the mantra of the good couple who produce the
Pig in the House wines, Jason and Rebecca O'Dea: "our ultimate desire
is to live in a chemical-free, sustainable environment producing wine that reflects
where we live and what we believe in ... converting to organic production was
the right thing to do for us, the environment, those who consume our
produce, and future generations". A wonderful vision, and the hard work
behind that quest has well and truly come up with the goods: just 98 cases
from a 15-acre vineyard outside Cowra in the lovely Central Ranges of
New South Wales. This Cab Sauv has aromas of stewed berries, with a full, rich
palate of wild berry, soft tannins and a long earthy finish. www.ploughandladle.com.au
Pig In The House 2005 Organic Shiraz
And where does the name come from? The vineyard was originally
home to 20 free-range pigs!
Now if you're a sangiovese-kid, as in one of those
Eastern Suburbs types who has long-since expunged your taste for shiraz,
having upgraded your wine-snob sensibility to grenache, mourvedre, zinfandel,
durif, dolcetto and barbera, among others, this organic shiraz is the best
reason yet to return to this classic 150-year-old variety. Indeed it's a bloody
Australian thing to do, since shiraz is only from here and the
Rhone Valley - so grilling fish, having pasta or roast vegies?
Then this Pig in the House organic shiraz is 100% "new directions".
'Cos buddy if the word "organic"ain't appearing in your imbibement-boasts,
you're slipping not just into wine history, but into over-chemicalised obsolescence.
And the varietal plum, cherries and hint of American oak which accentuate
the harmonious finish of this quite delightful shiraz make it well worth seeking out
for reasons hedonistic rather than just health. www.ploughandladle.com.au
Shiraz Energised Wine by Antonio Palena
Looking for something even more progressive in the certified organic wine market?
This wine is unique in that it's the first wine available that has been passed
through an Ecovortex=B unit. Hard to tell exactly what this does, but according
to vigneron Antonio Palena, it enhances the smooth palate and full flavour
of this classic variety, which has been grown in the golden mile region
of Barmera in South Australia. It is very low in sulphur which means that
asthmatics who are very sensitive to sulphur are unlikely to be affected.
And as for the taste - a very nice drop! Light-bodied, fruity, Italian style.
For more information contact the winemaker via: (08) 8588 1147.
Thistle Hill Premium Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
It's taken a while to review this one as we had a big night thanks to the generous contributions of the crew at Thistle Hill, which meant we lost our tasting notes! Created in the picturesque Erudgere Valley, ten k's down the road from Mudgee, this Cab Sauv has a bouquet of plum, ripe berries and sweet American oak. Good complex palate with plum, spice and tobacco flavours from the dedicated hands of winemaker David Robertson. In the end we went out and bought another batch of these wines to review a second time. Had a bloody good time all over again! Recommended to drink anywhere from 2005-2010. www.thistlehill.com.au
Rosnay Triple Blend 2003
Mint and spearmint aromas - and a soft plum palate finishing with
solid but supple tannins. The wine was partially matured in old
oak barrels for 12 months, and is also very low in sulfur, with
just 11 parts per million free sulfur. But, we hear you ask, is
it any good? On this deeply plum red, Rosnay Wines have sailed a
flavorsome course into the stratosphere. What a ripper drop! Attractive
fruit, fresh, very well made. This spectacular red could become
the flagship of the Australian organic wine industry. Three cheers
for family-owned boutique wineries ... drink now for enjoyment,
or watch this one improve for the next five years. www.rosnaywines.com.au
Happs Preservative-Free White 2004
Plain, straightforward, easy drinking white wine, great for a picnic, poolside or day at the beach. This is not a “bodice ripper,” think Fragonard, spring meadows, stolen kisses, some light fooling around, nothing heavy. Great stuff from the Margaret River appellation, this PF White is made from chardonnay. The wine is entirely tank-fermented. It is soft and generous in its flavours in line with winemaker Erl Happ's personal preference. The lack of preservatives is testimony to careful wine creation. Ronnie and Meghan liked it very much while Adrian prefers his drink a bit more complex. www.happs.com.au To have your wines reviewed on this page, click here.
Temple Bruer Organic Chenin Blanc 2004
More texture, gooseberry, tart and then sweet, wonderful flavours, fresh and citrusy, great length of flavour, lively and lifted. Perfect for a light lunch, a really beautifully made wine. You can tell the winemakers are paying close attention and it shows up in the glass. Good to drink over the next 2 to 3 years and we all loved it. Later, after we had finished our wine tasting, this is one of the bottles that ended up on our table for lunch. www.templebruer.com.au
Lark Hill Riesling 2004
Sweet beginning, herby nose, lemon and citrus, well made, clean, dry and quite refreshing. A good wine, rather delicate, with a long finish, not too dry, not too sweet. Very drinkable. Lark Hill makes their wines in an environmentally-friendly way from old growth (over 25 years) low-yielding vines with a minimum of additives. This wine is ready to drink right now. www.larkhillwine.com.au
Carlei Green Vineyards Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Creamy, woolly sort of smell, dry, clean with also a citrus smell and long finish. Well made. This Sauvignon Blanc is made in the French style and not only is it 100% organic it is biodynamically grown as well! The wine maker, Sergio Carlei, a lovely bear of a man, is passionate about wine and is eager to convert all who cross his path. When we met, on a late autumn afternoon in The Rocks, there was more than the whiff of Bacchus about him. His hands were stained purple from the recent crush and he spoke energetically about producing biodynamically “living” wine. www.carlei.com.au
Botobolar Organic Riesling 2004
Woody, very sweet when you first put it in your mouth, long finish of pears and apples, crisp, clean fruit and citrusy flavour, well balanced, stands out with good flavour, a bit of preserved lemon on the palate as well, with plenty of character. Botobolar is completely organic with some added sulphur dioxide to help preservation. Sulphur dioxide was first used by the Romans to preserve wine and we have been using it ever since. Botobolar has been a pioneer in organic and preservative-free winemaking in Australia.
Pinot Noir is one of the Holy Grails of winemaking and it really
tests the limits of
the winemaker. It’s a difficult grape to capture in the bottle
and I’ve tasted
plenty of weak, watery ones along with a few that will caress you
like a lover
while delivering a deep, lingering kiss. Cardinia Hills Pinot Noir
has a lovely
dark cherry smell, a light red wine with a bit of tobacco flavour
about it, and
overall a very pleasant drink. Meghan prefers her Pinot Noir to
be more along
the lines of the pinots of The Russian River Valley in Sonoma County
in Northern
California: more deep dark chocolate with hints of coffee and sweet
cherries
and the voluptuous feel of velvet in the mouth (you get the picture,
delicious
sex in a glass …). Sergio Carlei looks more to the traditional
French Pinots in that
they deliver the goods from a more nuanced, delicate, acidic perspective.
The
major complaint about this particular wine was not what was in the
bottle but
what was on it, namely, what’s with the date on the label?
First, it’s not on the
front, it’s on the back and we couldn’t figure out what
the graphic artist was
trying to do. Please, for us “label” drinkers, make
it easy for us to figure out
what year we’re drinking! Admittedly, after a glass or two
the only part of
our brains that was functioning was the reptilian.
Temple Bruer Organic Cabernet Merlot 2001
Rich nose, beautiful deep colour, high tannins taste, this is a
strong wine and would be best with rich foods. Another lovely wine
from Temple Bruer. We felt this would be a good wine to put away
for a bit and take out later. As Ronnie suggests: buy some now and
each year drink a bottle to find out when it reaches perfection.
Sounds like a great idea ... www.templebruer.com.au
Happs Preservative-Free Red 2004
Plummy smell, rich dark colour and taste, lots going on as far as
complexity and with a nice soft, almost furry, sensation in the
mouth. A big red and anyone who likes the Barossa style of wine
will love this one. Super friendly, a big, warm, huggable wine that
will treat you like your best mate, good on ya! We thought this
was just delicious. We also took this one to lunch, where, as we
recall, Meghan drank most of it. Buy plenty now and enjoy it with
your friends, they’ll love you for it. Ronnie thought this
would age well too. Just a reminder, preservative-free does not
mean hangover/headache-free, as Meghan can attest to.
Organic Vignerons Australia
Mataro/Shiraz/Grenache 2003 Bin 621
A very palatable bottle of wine from a collective of grape growers formed in 2002. The organic mataro was grown by B&S Armstrong at Waikerie, organic shiraz grown by the Markou family at Gawler River and the organic grenache grown by Brett Munchenberg at Loxton. Combined, this blend is a full-bodied,soft finish dry red. Mixed berries dominate the nose with mulberry and plum flavours. Sweet fruit aromas and flavours dominate the nose and palate of this wine. It will enhance the flavour of a wide variety of Mediterranean dishes. A dash of American oak finishes off a thoroughly delectable concoction with screw cap closure chosen for quality reasons. www.ova.com.au
Organic Vignerons Australia
2004 Rose Grenache Viognier
Organic Grenache and Viognier from Temple Bruer vineyards at Langhorne Creek and Brett Munchenberg at Loxton have combined to create this dry rosé. The nose displays mixed fresh berries, which along with stonefruit dominate the crisp finish on the palate of this wine. Only organically registered allowable inputs are used at all stages of the growing and processing of this wine. Served chilled, this wine is great accompanying poultry or pasta. However it is easily enjoyable by itself. www.ova.com.au
Organic Vignerons Australia
2003 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
A deep red-purple colour, vanilla and berries on the nose and great fruit with full, soft tannins on the palate indicate a long-lived wine. This wine is not preservative-free but the sulphur levels are about one-third of traditional reds. A silver medal at the Riverland Wine Show 2003 (class 23 Dry Red) and a bronze medal at the Melbourne Wine Show 2002 (class 23 Dry Red) point to the potential of this blend. Excellent accompaniment to
full-flavoured steak dishes. www.ova.com.au
Carlei Green Vineyards Organic Shiraz 2001
Red fruit, rich with sweet spice and brown spice tastes in a big, rich, generous tasting wine, really delicious with a long lingering flavour. We all thought this was really super tasting and we happily took it to lunch. Adrian liked this wine very much, so much in fact he took the empty bottle home with him! He thought this would be a great wine to drink right now and Ronnie thought he could drink this wine all day long! Australia and Shiraz,
truly a match made by Bacchus himself! ‘nuff said! www.carlei.com.au
Adrian Read, former editor of Australian Gourmet, former consultant to Penfolds and other wineries and now with his own direct marketing wine business, The Adrian Read Selections (wineman@bigpond.net.au).
Ronnie Stricke grew up in a wine cellar in South Africa and now happily helps clients put together their own; he advises customers on which wines go with what foods and is wine consultant to Karen McLeod, owner of the premier event planning company, Celebrity Blonde, in Sydney.
Meghan Williams started drinking wine at an early age "at my late grandfather’s table in California and the wines we drank were usually French and usually a Grand Cru. My grandfather was a founding member of the Beverly Hills Wine and Food Society, in California, and is the only man I have ever known who had French crystal Baccarat Romanee Conti wine glasses in multiples of 12 and used them! Basically I am a “label drinker”, which means I find a winemaker/vineyard I like and then buy more of it. Of course, like so many, I am more than a little star-struck at the fabulous wines being made in Australia and am gleefully getting to know some big Aussie reds and cool whites!"
Stewart Dawes works for Nova
Magazine as well as being original instigator of the Sydneycafes.com.au
website.
