the autumn sirens

Come April our landscapes, the sparse, ever so gentle hills of WA’s central Wheatbelt send out its siren.

Like migratory birds, those that currently reside in the coastal areas of the South West (who were once involved more hands on in broad-acre farming) make their way East to help out. The siren echoes, not through ears but through their body as the season changes and the lure of the smell of turned earth and the promise of a new seasons riches are on offer. It’s time to plant the winter crop. The long, cruel summer has finally drawn to a close and with the changing of the season & the silent songs travel long distances to lure these men back to jump in a tractor and help out those who need them.

These are the Autumn Sirens.

So welcome then, to the Autumn edition to the Wine Accomplice. And hasn’t the world changed since I last put my fingertips to the laptop (todays version of putting pen to paper). Summer out here has indeed dragged on cruelly, bar some early March rain that brought about a tinge of green that was routinely and succinctly dealt with by fires and spray. Out here weed control (and preserving moisture) is King. And don’t ask about the Queen: she left a long time ago on account of the flies who have been cruelly persistent of late, and I’m well past admiring them for this quality. Anyone not bothered by them is either not spending enough time outside or instead is taking a strange form of solace in at least some relief from the social distancing rules.

Masculinity, Pinot Noir & Autumn

I feel for those going through tough times with this virus, and feel a bit guilty as truth be told life out here hasn’t changed all that much. Sure, I’m looking forward to a trip to Perth or down South but (fingers crossed) we’ll be busy till August anyway. And the considerable upside of this quiet period as we wait for an opening rain is plenty of time at home with my young family. My little boy is three and a tick years old & is the best company and entertainment one could hope for whilst my little girl a bit younger and is quickly finding her voice. This extra time at home, and a calendar devoid of commitments has been such a blessing from that perspective and for the most part has been rather special. I genuinely think I’ll look back very fondly on this period for this reason, plus a bit of extra time to work on music, cooking and drinking wine while watching the sunsets has been an added bonus.

Driving back from a parts run the other day I began listening to a podcast with Tim Winton as the guest. He delved rather deeply into what he saw was still fairly prevalent toxic and misguided masculinity in young boys transitioning to men. The analogy that he used was (along the lines of) how young boys start out as a pencil case with every single colour. As diverse people full of life and love for all different things & it breaks his heart to see them get to that stage of post adolescence and have only one or two colours. It seems as if they have had their full self beaten out of them by poor role models and simplistic ideas about what it is to be a man.

My thoughts quickly turned to our young boy. He is, at this stage without doubt the full pencil case: so creative and inquisitive with (in particular) a great love for music, dancing and language. I was so lucky in my childhood to have all those types of things encouraged and that continued through high school and beyond where it was perfectly normal to try and dominate a game of football & then take that same gusto into a debate or a creative persuit.

So what of masculinity then, by definition? My take on it is that becoming a man isn’t about brute strength or any other oversimplified stereotype. Instead, perhaps it is simply about developing the tools to react appropriately in different situations. When one needs to be strong & brave a man should be able to do that, yet should always be gentle, kind & giving when they can. Building character, and therefore those tools can only be done through (often tough) life experiences & so putting your children in those types of situations should be a major part of parenting, even if sometimes it may be counter intuitive. Having good people around you and going through different situations outside your comfort zone is how you build character. It’s an ongoing struggle.

Where does wine fit into all this? It probably a long bow, but I think appreciating beauty is essential in being a well rounded person & should never be shied away from. It’s part of the very fabric of a persons soul. And whether that is appreciating fine art or music, theatre or literature – or the smells and flavours of wine – it is all part of finding beauty in the signals that the senses send to our brains. And many would argue that the holy grail of all this is the siren like beauty of great Pinot Noir.

Autumn weather (out here at least) is a fine pairing for Pinot Noir: it’s a seasonal match up that works. In terms of the yearly cycle, the landscape is at its most bleak: the lush green fields last sighted in September a long forgotten memory. The dams are empty & the wind blows: picking up dust from overgrazed paddocks & distributing it elsewhere, only for the wind to change direction and blow back the very next day. To sit and watch is to drift off into thought & ponder ones existence; surely a large part of romanticising the country lifestyle. One can marvel at that rhythmic, mesmerising patterns through the fields made by the large machinery, or the spectacular slowly evolving sunsets at the end of the day that provide that fleeting moment of beauty, much like when you first put your nose into a special glass of wine.

Finding Pinot Noir that resonates on a personal level is an ongoing journey. In Australia you have those regions in close proximity to Melbourne where it’s more than possible to make credible examples of the variety. I’ve always preferred the Victorian stuff to anything Tasmania or New Zealand has to offer and with that in mind, on the mainland I find that its more about producer than region. I love the wines of Mooorooduc Estate or Gembrook Hill for example, but struggle with their near neighbours such as (for example) Yabby Lake & Macforbes. The only way to find your ‘style’ of pinot is to keep drinking and tasting until you find what clicks.

It’s worth keeping in mind that an average pinot is a reasonably pleasant, fruity drink & a good pinot is a delight & easy match to most cuisine. But a great one stops you in your tracks & stays with you. I’ll never forget the taste and texture of my first Grand Cru Burgundy, nor my first Bass Phillip. The tales of people who uprooted their entire lives after one special bottle, to find a piece of dirt somewhere and begin a lifetime pursuit of making a wine of similar quality resonate strongly. It’s powerful stuff. And I hope I can teach my boy as he grows up that appreciating beauty, whatever form that it takes, is a perfectly noble display of masculinity, surpassed only by the pursuit of creating it.

Changing topics now to the obvious one

I guess it would be remiss of me not to touch on the virus currently wreaking havoc across many industries including the wine game, for many a double-whammy after the devastating fires during Summer. From a consumers perspective I think it’s as simple as supporting the people and family businesses that you care about by buying wine directly from them as much as possible.

On the flipside of the gloom, I can see some positives emerging from all of this. For a long time I’ve pondered the cellar door trade and been bewildered by very small wineries making a smorgasbord of different styles and varieties, no doubt to cater to every taste that walks through the door. Perhaps it makes business sense but the quality overall is generally (and with very few exceptions) disappointing. And more often than not if that energy could have been put into doing a couple of things well and with passion I’m sure a much better result in the glass would be achieved. We don’t expect the person that wins the decathlon at the Olympics to get a start in the 100m sprint final & making wine should perhaps be viewed no differently. So whilst I feel very much for those struggling, perhaps this tough period will help some producers work out where best to focus their energy & emerge stronger.

Wine Notes

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2018 (Canberra). 97 / 100

Wow, what a wine! This was almost too wonderful to enjoy properly: you’re in a conversation with the most beautiful person you’ve ever met but you’re too tongue-tied to relax, and trying to hard to savour it instead of just enjoying the moment. Seductively perfumed, graceful & long: the 13/18 side by side will be a fascinating comparison for years to come.

By Farr ‘Sangreal’ Pinot Noir 2017 (Geelong) 96/100

Multifaceted waves of complex textures and flavours: this is a beautiful, convincing wine characterized by its length and attractive savoury and ‘stemmy’ characteristics. I preferred this slightly to the ‘Farrside’. This is top of the tree type stuff, but fun enough to enjoy: you’re enjoying the view from the peak of an old Redwood, only to discover there’s a flying fox to take you down. Enjoy the ride & keep an eye out for the 2018’s.

ATR ‘Grower Series’ Shiraz. 2017 (Grampians) 95/100

Adam Richardson has been chipping away at his Grampians vineyard for some time now & from all reports there has been a lift in quality since he’s returned from the States to focus on it full time. I’ve not tasted earlier releases but these grower series wines – sourced from different vineyard sources in the Grampians region – have been sensational so far. We’ve drunk bottles of the ‘Leeke’ and ‘Ludwigson’ & both were compelling & very much a value buy at around that $30 mark. Different wines, but I enjoyed them both equally. Expect a medium to full bodied wine full of all that lovely Grampians spice and complexity. Admittedly these wines are well in my realms of personal taste/bias but I’m convinced that the ATR bottlings are great showcases for the region, displaying the best characteristics of warm and cool climate shiraz all in one bottle. More info here.

Bests Bin 0 Shiraz 2017 (Grampians) 95/100

Have written about this before and have little to add. The best Bin 0 I’ve tasted with the poise and balance to age for several decades.

Curly Flat Pinot Noir 2015 (Macedon) 94/100

A fine, poised Curly Flat that’s a few years off its peak. Plenty of Asian spice and an attractive, every so slightly grainy texture. Length.

Voyager Cabernet Merlot 2010 (Margaret River) 94/100

Misleadingly, given it’s a ‘cab/merlot’ this is (or was) the leading wine from this vast Margaret River Estate, founded by a billionaire mining magnate who didn’t drink. Hardly the kind of stuff that warms the heart of course, but its hard to argue with what is in the glass here, a really lovely Margaret River Cabernet blend that has evolved into a balanced wine showcasing some beautiful (ever so lightly leafy) fruit and a hint of some early tertiary notes. It’s bloody good.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ Cabernet blend 2016 (Margaret River) 93/100

I’ve long been guilty, (generally after a few too many glasses) of over the top statements along the lines of ‘ each vintage the rest of the Margaret River fights to see who can make the third best wine of the vintage (under the assumption that this, and the family series from Woodlands are locks to take out first and second place). The first time I had this wine it was a bit closed (just after release), the second time it was almost perfect and a clear wine of the night against far greater competition. Bottle number three showed very nicely but I think more than anything it promises more with time. Plenty left in the cellar.

Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Coonawarra) 93/100

So I managed to get my hands on two-dozen back vintage cabernets from Balnaves & am slowly working through them (mainly in an effort to avoid drinking the rest of my cabernet too young). So far I’ve most enjoyed the 2004, from a cooler vintage. This was very well balanced and with seductive Coonawarra Cabernet typicity. More than ready now but will hold till about 2024.

Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2018 (Porongurups) 92/100

I’ve long been a fan of Castle Rock & this remains a very reasonably priced, high quality offering. It needs some years to show its best & the MV6 clone (or at least what I think is MV6 – lets not get too carried away) is fairly prominent. But all in all this is a very complete wine, dense and enjoyable.

Chateau Carbonnieux 2016 (Pessac Leognan) 92/100

This is a wine that got some impressive reviews both en primeur and since. It’s nothing monumental but is it a good steady claret nonetheless. I picked up a lot of different flavours on the first bottle I tried, but here it seemed a bit more straight forward. It should mellow out nicely and drink well from about 2024 onwards.

Fletcher Barbaresco ‘Recta-Pete’ 2014 (Piedmonte) 92/100

I’m a big fan of the Fletcher wines: the 2013 Barolo was a recent highlight. This is a good effort from a less than perfect vintage and much like the Carbonneiux should drink well from about 2024.

Turkey Flat Shiraz 2017 (Barossa Valley) 91/100

Turkey Flat has been my go to Barossa Shiraz for as long as I’ve been drinking the stuff. Old vines, French oak & careful picking dates is a pretty solid formula in a region I don’t always enjoy. That said, the 17 is a little bit lean this year, but still a very balanced and enjoyable medium bodied Barrossan Shiraz that will improve in bottle for a decade or so. I also had a 2010 recently & that was loveliness personified.

Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2016 (Waipara) 90/100

New Zealand Pinot is something I try and admire objectively but the truth is it has brought me only small patches of joy over the years. So often at the end of a long lunch the votes for wine of the day will come in for a pretty simple, plump NZ pinot and I’ll sit there genuinely bewildered. Each to their own of course. One thing I’m learning though is that they do age quite well & 5-7 years is definitely a go-zone. On top of that I have a soft spot for Pegasus Bay, and I remember very fondly one that we had at West End Deli one night. This, the 2016 is in that mold though not quite as seductively perfume nor as silky/breezy through the palette. I think this will be great from about 2022 onwards where it will sneak up the ratings & I’d still jump into bed with this over the vast majority of Otago stuff.

Hay Shed Hill ‘Block 2’ Cabernet 2010 (Margaret River) 89/100

Still a little young, this had yet to evolve out of its tight phase, it also just seemed a bit disjointed and astringent. I’m not confident it will blossom. Perhaps picked fractionally ripe. It drank quite similar to an 09 which was opened when it was about 8 years of age. Whether the Block 2 emerges as a credible example of premium Wilyabrup Cabernet with further ageing I’m not sure, but it is hard to make a case for its place in the cellar at the moment.

Redman Shiraz 2014 (Coonawarra) 89/100

A bit of warmth and perhaps a tiny bit simple but as a solid midweeker this is a no brainer. Very good for the price and no rush to drink either.

Herve Souhat ‘Syrah’ 2018 (Rhone) 85/100

A natural wine and one adored by the wine trade, but this was quite a confronting style for someone that’s not use to it. Whilst I can appreciate the purity of the fruit and it improved with a fair bit of air it just reminded me too much of unfinished wine. My wife thought it was undrinkable, and I definitely struggled through it but I think for those who like the style, or in smaller doses this would and does deliver. Just not for me.

The bits and the bobs

I’ve trawled the wide web repeatedly for decent wine podcasts and the best one I’ve discovered so far is ‘The Vincast’ with James Scarcebrook. On this podcast he has long, interesting chats with various people from the wonderful world of wine. It’s a bit like ABC conversations & comes reccomended.  Check it out [here]

I’m still enjoying the writing of Joss Fowler & his Vinolent blog, especially his recent takes on 2016 & 2010 Bordeaux. Geoff Kelly is also a new one I’ve found & if you enjoy your NZ pinot he is well worth checking out – here.

Lastly, if isolation has got you down there is a little game we play occasionally called the ‘sock game’ in order to still do a bit of blind tasting at home. Line up 4 or 5 (or however many) bottles and place them each in a sock. Get one of you to grab one and pour a couple of glasses (without looking if possible) and have fun guessing what it. Mix up the themes as much as possible. Generally I try and eliminate the ones I don’t think it is & am left picking between a few possibilities. It’s good fun and a pretty simply way to practice blind tasting.

If you’ve got this far you’ve done extremely well. Will be back in Winter for a no doubt Cote-du-Rhone heavy edition of the Wine Accomplice.

Cheers – Ambrose.