Writing this from memory so please forgive its slightly vague nature.
One afternoon in late January Daniel, Clementine & Myself headed down to the Lamonts wine store to taste some wines from Deep Woods and Cullen, partly out of curiosity but mainly because I was free.
We powered through the Sem-Savs (care factor quite low but for the record they were fine) & onto the Chardonnays. The Kevin John was absolutely stunning & wine of the tasting for me. This wine had a compelling, laser like precision/energy but with a volume of flavour that was genuinely exciting. The Deep Woods reserve was nice – a bit fatter and rounder but not quite in the same league. Memory is a touch scant but from memory both the entry and mid range reds from both vineyards were all reasonable, I’ve got a real soft spot for the wines from the Mangan vineyard & they showed very well on the day. Drink them with food and you will not be disappointed. The Deep Woods were fairly fruit driven but good for what they were.
At some point (owner of the store/all round legend) JJ gave quite a passionate speech about the success of Deep Woods winemaker Julian Langworthy & rattled off his resume and the story behind him getting the job (he nearly ended up at Howard Park). Long story short this guy knows how to make wine, across all price points and in particular wines that can do well in the wine shows & in the influential eyes of James Halliday.
Finally the big guns came out – The Diana Madeline & Deep Woods reserve as well as a ‘Grand Selection’ wine that was around the $120 mark I think. I’ve previously found the Deep Woods reserve cabernet a bit ripe, and a bit ‘made’ if that makes sense. I enjoyed it more on this particular day but still hold that view more or less. The big guns from Deep Woods are very much in the mould of the newest Hollywood blockbuster; quite genuinely impressive, if not quite my thing.
The Diana Madeline 2016 was a fascinating counter point; nuanced, subtle & in many ways almost perfect. Everything is neatly in its place, with precise lashings of pencil shavings and a serious restraint of fruit in a nod to the old world. Quite simply, in almost every way, this is Cabernet as it should be. Still one can’t help but wonder (if you’ll indulge me).
The Mona Lisa, despite its stature is quite literally a small painting; no less beautiful because of its size but small all the same. Change the dimensions and you’ll lose some of the charm but some (less sophisticated perhaps) people may want a bit more to look at. And I’m ever so slightly in that boat with the Diana Madeline, the dimensions & the detail may be perfect but (for the price at least) I’d prefer a bit more size and weight – a bit more of the same. Not more oak, or alcohol or ripe fruit but rather the exact same dimensions but fuller if that makes sense. But small nit-pickings aside this is a special wine and one I admired very much.
Going back to the Deep Woods, these wines had me pondering the role of a winemaker & what makes someone ‘the best’. One could make the argument I think, that the best winemakers are the ones that can turn not so special fruit into high quality wine. If you’ve got a plot in To-Kalon or Richebourg (for example) then no doubt most of the quality happens in the vineyard, getting the fruit to that level of perfection where you don’t need fancy tricks down the line. Basically get it in the winery, hold your nerve and don’t fuck with it too much – a skill in itself no doubt. But I feel like making high volumes of wine, from working class type vineyards and making seriously good wine regardless requires a high level of talent. Deep Woods is in this boat & I have genuine admiration for whats going on here even if theres not a spot in my cellar for the wines.
I’ve always been a bit torn on Cullen. I’d happily spend a day drinking their wines and some days I’ll tell anyone in earshot how good they are but at the same time this is a place that very much rubs me up the wrong way. The reason for this is that Cullen are very heavy handed in promoting how they run their operation & wrap it into a very holistic type of experience that seems very shallow, manipulative & to be honest, cringeworthy. Organics in the vineyard makes sense, and if you believe bio-dynamics helps you get the best out of your fruit then by all means bury those manure filled cow horns when the moon says you should. And for the record, I don’t believe that bio-dynamics is part of the dangerous elements of the ‘anti-science’ movement (think anti-vaxers) but at the same time when it becomes so intrinsically linked to the personality and profile of a vineyard instead of just being part of the many things they do quietly to achieve quality it can make you roll your eyes & wonder a bit about where its all headed. I guess the reality is that it’s good for business but at the same time regardless of bio-dynamics this is one of Margaret Rivers oldest & best-situated vineyards, hard work and sound judgement have contributed far more to the quality than anything to do with following the cycle of the moon & the wines, which are more than capable of speaking for themselves should be allowed to do so.
All that said, was an enjoyable tasting, and while I didn’t buy anything, I would have loved a few Kevin Johns if they were a bit less pricey.
The Wine Accomplice 