Mondavi/Talomas - Rosemount/Kirralaa

The Down Under labelled Kirralaa (pronounced KEER-a-LA) will produce four varietal wines from shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot using Victoria and South Australia fruit. The California wines, called Talomas (ta-LO-mas), are blends of cabernet sauvignon and syrah and cabernet sauvignon and merlot grown on the Central Coast.

The 50-50 joint venture is to be cross marketed (Mondavi will sell the joint venture's Australian bottlings worldwide, and Rosemount will sell the California line worldwide) in their respective markets.

In Canada's mucked up monopolies distribution for both labels will fall to Southcorp Canada because Robert Mondavi wines are distributed nationally by Maxxium Canada a company very closely linked to Wolf Blass who no doubt wouldn't approve of his distributor selling another Australian wine.

Total production is already close to 22,000 cases and the wines are coming out of existing facilities. Interestingly each company has been given the green light to select any grapes it likes (almost the way Grange is made) to create their respective brand.

Southcorp chief winemaker Philip Shaw along with Tim Mondavi from California are working with former Seven Peaks' winemaker Ian Shepherd who heads up the day-to-day winemaking for Kirralaa and Talomas. Two flagship wines an Aussie shiraz and a California syrah are expected to be released in the fall of 2003.

If there are some promising notes here it's the information exchange and the winemaking styles that will be brought to bear on the wines. Clearly the Americans bring varietal confidence to the mix while the Down Under team bring a willingness to explore more regional California blends.

What follows is a sneak preview of the new wines expected to be released in Western Canada March 15 and should be in Ontario by the late summer early fall. We have included some detailed fruit sourcing and appellations to give you a better sense of where the wines are coming from and perhaps where they will go.

KIRRALAA

88/100 Kirralaa Chardonnay 2002
South Eastern Australia, Australia
The Kirralaa Chardonnay is an intriguing mix of 48 per cent Hunter Valley fruit, 39 per cent Adelaide Hills; 4 per cent Clare Valley; 4 per cent McLaren Vale; 3 per cent Tumbarumba and 2 per cent Eden Valley. Look for a bright orange rind, honey, spicy lees aromas with a touch of smoky mineral and peach. It's elegant, round and plush on the palate with slightly young, acidic edge on the finish. The texture is quite creamy with ripe peach and citrus/orange flavours streaked with vanilla and spice in the aftertaste. A bit young with some acidity to balance out but very good complexity. Should improve. Good value. Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Produced By: Kirralaa
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Prices: BC $23.95 Speculative - Southcorp Canada; ON $20.95

87/100 Kirralaa Merlot 2001
South Eastern Australia, Australia
The merlot has an intriguing black cherry jam and toasty vanilla nose mixed with spicy, sweaty saddle aromas, black olive and a toasted bread and straw background. Round and quite rich with cherry jam, plum, spicy vanilla flavours and a minty, olive finish. Some grainy, green tannins cause the wine to finish a bit green taking away just a bit from an otherwise fine effort. The 85/15 blend of merlot and cabernet comes form Coonawarra 60 per cent and the Clare Valley. Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Produced By: Kirralaa
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Prices: BC $24.95

89/100 Kirralaa Bushvine Shiraz 2001
South Eastern Australia, Australia
A real Aussie shiraz blend featuring 53 per cent Coonawarra shiraz, 24 per cent Barossa Valley, 13 per cent McLaren Vale and 10 per cent Margaret River. Look for quite a forward open vanilla, tobacco, floral nose with a saddle leather, blackberry jam and cherry aroma with a peppery, garrigue, black olive background. Rich, round and elegant with soft tannins and textures. Creamy vanilla, black cherry, spicy, blackberry flavours and a peppery, orange rind, vanilla smoke finish. Good length, elegance and refinement. Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Produced By: Kirralaa
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Prices: AB $22.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $24.95; ON $24.95 Vintages

90/100 Kirralaa Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
South Eastern Australia, Australia
The cabernet is 100 per cent McLaren Vale fruit swimming in spicy, black olive, vanilla, sweaty saddle, cassis, earth and licorice aromas. The flavours are similar offering more spicy, cassis and blackberry fruit streaked with licorice pepper and vanilla in the finish. Lovely supple textures and elegant tannins. A touch alcoholic and young but should improve over the next few years. Well made. Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Produced By: Kirralaa
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Prices: AB $23.40 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $24.95 Specialty; ON $23.95 Vintages

TALOMAS

89/100 Talomas Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah 2000
California, United States
Finally someone on the northern hemisphere who sees a certain synergy in blending cabernet and syrah. Talomas (the indigenous name for the wildcats that used to roam California's costal lands) is a Mondavi Rosemount venture that hits the mark with this blend. Look for an inviting spicy, peppery, saddle leather, and toasted vanilla nose streaked with smoky floral, black berry and black cherry aromas. Its round, soft with well managed supple, dry tannins. Black berry, plums and spicy, creamy vanilla flavours make it fun to sip. Fine elegance and integration have us thinking about a scaled down Bin 389 without the big jammy characters. The proof is in the blend of this 67 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 33 per cent syrah taken from a wide variety of sites: Santa Barbara County 35%; Mendocino County 26%; Paso Robles 19%; Rutherford Napa Valley 15%; and Monterey County 5%. Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Produced By: Talomas Vineyards
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Prices: AB $24.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $25.95 Specialty; ON $24.95 Vintages

87/100 Talomas Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2000
California, United States
The whole demeanour of the Talomas Cabernet Merlot is herbal. Look for a spicy, green olive, mint, pepper, and cedar bark nose with leathery undercurrents. The entry is dry but elegant with olive brine, black pepper and spicy, minty cassis flavours and just a touch of tobacco. As mentioned it's slightly herbal and a little bit hollow but we like the complexity. More French than California or Oz. The blend is 73 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 27 merlot. The fruit is sourced from: Santa Barbara County 37%; Mendocino County 30%; Monterey County 28%; Sonoma County 5%.
Produced By: Talomas Vineyards
Distributed By: Southcorp Wines Canada
Last Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $24.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $25.95; ON $24.95 Vintages