WINE BLOG

Riesling just cant find a foothold here in Oz. Moselle in a box gave it its initial dodgy reputation. Sweet and insipid white hock with no lineage to the actual variety. My Nanny couldn’t get enough. God bless her soul.

More recently, celebrated Clare valley producers have nailed Riesling’s intensity and potential for longevity. The south of WA is yielding some crackers too. They’ve captured the variety’s zest and racy, mineral spine. Alas, still too few stock up on it as a staple. Often the steely, citric dryness is pushed discouragingly to the hilt.

Now, there are murmurings in funky wine bars of a new respect for a touch of the traditional. That being the German, Austrian and Alsatian design with a lick of residual sugar to soften the hard edges. It’s unfashionable to call anything sweet of course, but the ‘off dry’ styles from Europe seem to be less abrasive and more acceptable to a thirsty throng.

Alsace, they tell me, is a very pretty patch. It skirts the upper Rhine in the Northeast pocket of France. A bruising history of border disputes has failed to dampen the spirit of an industrious and artisanal hood.

Riesling flies the flag here, though Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner and Muscat are all formidable rivals. Each takes advantage of a dry climate offering slow ripening and abundant aromatic character. As one scribe puts it, “Alsace makes Germanic wine in the French way”. Traditionally, Alsace winemakers produced bone dry styles and left toying with sugars to the Germans. Lately, though, both regions have changed tact and the wine of Alsace has enjoyed a reputation for mastering the subtlety of sweet. Somehow the wines aren’t sweet, they have fruit ripeness but finish dry. It’s a mouth-watering result when the balance is right.

Our little Alsatian, Edmond Rentz, is typical of the region. Different vineyards with different aspects and soils offer a diversity of styles across a broad spectrum. There’s richness, volume, subtlety and a reasonable dose of downright scrumptiousness. Without disregarding the achievements of our local Riesling and Gris producers, there’s a deft shade in the wines of Alsace that perhaps is beyond our reach.

The Concours des Vins Victoria is held every year and organised by the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce. It is a unique event in that the wines are judged by a panel of French wine experts. Many Victorian producers are attracted to the event to get feedback from an international audience. It was held at the Medallion Club at Etihad Stadium on Thursday 24th November and included the wines from over one hundred and thirty Victorian producers.

Mount William’s 1999 Blanc de Blanc took out a gold medal and then went on to win a trophy for ‘Best Sparkling Wine of Show’. A fantastic result considering the high standard of competition.
It is widely accepted in Australia that the best bubbles are coming from the most southern parts of our country, (namely our friends in Tassie) or from higher altitides on the mainland, (Macedon Ranges, Alpine Valley, Adelaide Hills). Mount William vineyards are at a brisk 600 metres above sea level with snow often occurring in winter.

The 1999 is a very special wine that has now spent eleven years on lees. Only with such extended time maturing on yeast lees can a wine achieve the complexity and breadth of flavour that the Mt William has.

Congrats again to Murray Cousins of Mount William Winery. Sante!!

There’s no dirt left in Champagne. Every square inch is under vine. The most northern wine region in France is a sacred patch, peerless in its perfect combination of elements for making wine of the sparkly kind. There are, however, some rumblings of change.

In recent years the 19,000 plus grape growers in Champagne have become more inclined to produce their own wine, rather than hawk their fruit to the names we all know.

More than a quarter of Champagne (the drink) is now produced by growers and the standard of juice is fast gaining a reputation for its individual edge and artisanal style. Yet, the market here in Oz is still saturated by the familiar faces.

There is increasing opinion that the distinctive nature of the region is best captured in the wines of producers who grow their own fruit. It makes sense. An affinity with the chalky soils that stain their own shirts must help winemakers to produce something unique and something reflective of where they are. Naturally, it’s much more difficult to bottle the essence of the earth when your fruit is being sourced from left, right and centre.

That’s not to say the gear from the big guns is no good. It’s often sublime. But we sort of know what to expect. And to trumpet ‘consistency’ as a compelling virtue of a brand no longer cuts the mustard with better educated drinkers. As (admittedly slightly biased and outspoken) US importer Terry Theisse puts it, “…the crucial difference between houses and estates is the difference between industrial and artisanal.”.

Unfortunately, not all grower champagnes are up to scratch. That would make life too easy. Which makes Merri River Wine Merchants all the more smug in declaring our little Grower Champagne a proven sparkling star. Champagne Gardet have tilled their own pocket of premier and grand cru vineyards since the late 1800s so their instinctive craftsmanship is well and truly ingrained.

There’s nothing quite like Champagne of any kind, the elixir of celebration and fun times. But keep an eye out for an RM (grower) on the label as the fizzfarmers begin to make their move.