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I have been spending some time up the coast with friends, not doing much of anything other than enjoying the weather and relaxing.
I love these few days of the year when I actually drink wine as opposed to just tasting it. Not only that, for some strange reason most of the people who drop by talk about things other than the wine when they consume it. Who knew?
Wine folks can be obsessive, and for most of the year, I get my information from people who could talk for a day, or more, about their wines and never run out of things to say. In Roberts Creek, it is more likely we will run out of wine than things to talk about.
I must say the BC Liquor Store in Upper Gibsons is far better stocked with wine than it was a few years ago. There are some well-made, inexpensive choices available, seemingly on a more consistent basis, which makes shopping a lot more pleasurable for us wine nuts.
Prior to my vacation I ended my work week on a yacht in False Creek where I caught up with Peter Gago, one of Australia's most passionate winemakers. He has the heavy responsibility of maintaining the long-running reputation of Penfolds Grange -- arguably Australian's greatest red wine. Gago is responsible for all the wines made at Penfolds, although he would be the first to tell you his team, many who have been with the company for two and three decades, are responsible for most of the day-to-day work between vintages.
As chief winemaker, Gago's job is more than just making wine. As important as every release of Grange is, Gago is occupied with the history of Penfolds wines and how that relates to its future. He will not admit it, but planning the next 25 years and the direction of Penfolds is what most inspires him these days, at least when he's not making wine at McGill (the Adelaide home of Penfolds), or travelling the world spreading the Penfolds gospel, something he does nearly half the year.
It won't be long before Gago makes his mark on Grange and takes his place among the short list of winemakers that have been entrusted with the future of a wine that is every bit a part of the history and the future of Australian wine.
What follows is a brief look at some exciting new releases from Penfolds.
The Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 2008 is a member of the burgeoning Penfolds white wine program that one day soon will be given its due reward. After a brief period in stainless steel, the wine goes to bottle. Love the intense bright apple and lime rind, oyster liqueur notes with flecks of orange and passion fruit. You can enjoy it now with a variety of foods, but it will live for decades.
The Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2006, named after the founder of Penfolds, is made with select parcels of South Australian shiraz in the Adelaide region. Look for a drier peppery style with lovely density and richness throughout. The palate is packed with plummy/blueberry/boysenberry fruit you can drink all day. The finish is long and peppery with bits of oak and savoury chocolate. A great steak wine.
The latest Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2006 is made with cool fruit from Tasmania, Adelaide and Henty all mixed with 45-per-cent new French oak. This is as close as it gets to Burgundy in Oz. Look for an oatmeal/spicy nose and creamy lees with distinct aromas of nectarines, limes and hazelnuts. More roasted nuts and intense white peach and quince cover the palate and finish long and complex. Impressive to say the least.
Penfolds had been growing mourvèdre since the 1950s, but it was not until the 1992 vintage that the decision was made to make an old-vine Barossa red that paid homage to the southern Rhone. By 1998, the Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Grenache 2006 was upgraded to the bin range bearing the moniker Bin 138. The '06 mix is 39/32/29 shiraz/grenache/mourvèdre all matured in five-year-old French and American oak. The nose is bright and lifted floral, dried herbs and berry nuances. Glossy candied fruit with spicy orange, mineral cedar and tobacco fill out its considerable but soft length. You can drink this now, but five to seven years will pay rewards.
A part of the components of Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2006 is still matured in the same barrels that are used in the previous vintage of Grange. Now in its 46th vintage, the wine remains true to its roots using the structure of cabernet softened with the richness of shiraz. Look for big brambleberry/mulberry/blueberry fruit notes with bits of sausage and dried herbs. The palate is packed with warm, round ripe fruit with an underpinning of olives and spicy oak. Well done.
Even at $425, everyone agrees the Penfolds Grange Bin 95 Shiraz 2004 is a great Grange. The colour is dark to the edge, the nose fragrant with bits of cola, dried herbs and black tea. The palate is full and already seamless, something that bodes well for a long life. Intensely muscular and rich, this is the real thing. Look for plums, spice and more tea in what is a blockbuster effort. Buy and cellar for decades.
PENFOLDS
PENFOLDS BIN 51 RIESLING 2008, EDEN VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $30
UPC: 012354072558
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Enjoy this now with a variety of foods.
THOMAS HYLAND SHIRAZ 2006, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $20
UPC: 012354071988
Score: 89/100
Remarks: The palate is packed with plummy blueberry/boysenberry fruit.
PENFOLDS YATTARNA BIN 144 CHARDONNAY 2006, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $110
UPC: 00012354072251
Score: 93/100
Remarks: Roasted nuts and intense white peach and quince.
PENFOLDS BIN 138 SHIRAZ- MOURVEDRE-GRENACHE 2006, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $35
UPC: 00808755003228
Score: 89/100
Remarks: Glossy, ripe fruit with spicy, orange, mineral cedar and tobacco.
PENFOLDS BIN 389 CABERNET SHIRAZ 2006, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $42
UPC: 00012354071209
Score: 91/100
Remarks: A good year for 389, with another 10 to 15 ahead before it reaches its peak.
PENFOLDS GRANGE BIN 95 SHIRAZ 2004, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Price: $425
UPC: 00012354072107
Score: 96/100
Remarks: A great Grange along the stylistic lines of 1990 and 1996.
