Orange

Angullong Fossil Hill Barbera 2016

This is an enjoyable and interesting barbera from Angullong in the Orange wine region.  Quite savoury and Italian in bearing, it opens to aromas of red currant and sour cherry.  The palate is fresh, stoney and has good length on the finish.  Ready to drink now, this is a good release.  Rating: Good. Abv: 14.5%. Price: $26. Website: www.angullong.com.au. Source: Sample.

Patina Orange Riesling 2016

A second wine from Patina.  This time a dry riesling from Orange and the 2016 vintage.  The aroma of this wine is quite muted with earth, stones and minerals evident with effort.  The palate reminds of lemon, yellow grapefruit and is bound together with high acidity.  Austere in bearing, this wine will reward time in the cellar.  Rating: Good. Abv: 11.1%. Price: $25. Source: Sample.

Angullong Chardonnay Orange 2016

Gee, there’s a lot of competition in chardonnay at the $20-$25 price bracket.  Most of them are good too, which is great perhaps only for the consumer.  The aroma of this wine from Angullong in the glass is immediately and appealingly mineral and citrus like.  The palate has a good balance between its light touch oak, racy acidity and fruit flavours of lemon and grapefruit.  This is good value at $20.  Rating: Good. Abv: 13.5%. Price: $20. Source: Sample.

Patina Scandalous Riesling 2016

This wine from Patina has very pure aromas of candied lemons and lime.  The palate is clean in bearing and style, off dry, the acidity high and the balance in the glass very good.  Overall, this is a very good riesling.  The label doesn’t in my view make the geographic indication (GI) claim obvious but I presume the region of origin is Orange or the broader Central Ranges Zone.  Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 11.1%. Price: $25. Source: Sample.

Angullong Fossil Hill Tempranillo 2016

The vintage shown in the picture is the 2015.  This review is of the 2016 vintage.

A 100% tempranillo from the Orange region, this wine from Angullong in the Orange region opens to aromas of red fruits and leather.  The palate is medium bodied with chocolate and cherry characters, mid weight tannins and some well judged cedar influence.  It resembles a modern Crianza style of tempranillo and is recommended.  Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 14%. Price: $26. Source: Sample.

A good local nebbiolo: Rowlee Orange Nebbiolo 2016

This is a good rendition of a nebbiolo from Rowlee in Orange. It has restrained aromatics that remind of actual cherries. Decant this wine, as the palate really improves with time in the glass. There are quite firm fine tannins and good length and balance, and – no mean feat – the impression is varietal. A well made local nebbiolo. Rating: Good. Abv: 14%. Price: $40. Source: Sample.

Five new release Australian chardonnays from five different regions

I tasted today through five Australian new release chardonnays, all blind, with prices ranging from $22 to $68. The average quality level in Australian chardonnay is very good indeed if you are able to spend $20 or more per bottle. The cooler climate regions of the Mornington Peninsula and Orange shone more brightly than the warmer regions, and Ten Minutes by Tractor’s Mornington Peninsula McCutcheon chardonnay shone brightest.

Huntington Estate Mudgee Chardonnay 2017
This wine has restrained aromatics that remind of lemon, pear and talc. The palate is dry, with firm acidity, a medium to full body, some depth of flavour, a heated spice expression and a medium length, warm finish. Rating: Acceptable to Good. Abv: 13.1%. Price: $22. Source: Sample.

Rowlee Single Vineyard Orange Chardonnay 2016
This wine has pronounced aromatics of lemon, nectarine, cedar and, initially only, smoke and struck match. There is some evidence of oak. The palate is dry, with medium to firm acidity, medium to full body, long length on the finish, and a mineral and crystalline character. From a hitherto unseen label, this is good drinking. Rating: Very Good. Abv: 13.5%. Price: $40. Source: Sample.

Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay McCutcheon Single Vineyard 2015
This wine has restrained aromatics of almond meal and cedar and a golden colour in the glass. There is evidence of good quality new oak. The palate is dry, and the acidity quite linear and zingy. It has refined bones of lemon and minerals, a medium body, good length and quite a subtle bearing. This is an outstanding chardonnay release, and I was not surprised to see this very good producer’s name on the reveal. Rating: Very Good to Outstanding. Abv: 13.8%. Price: $68. Source: Sample.

Pig in the House Organic Chardonnay Cowra 2017
This wine presented with unusual and pronounced aromatics that reminded of dust and green capsicum. The palate is medium to full bodied. There is a roundness to the acidity, but it is not portly. Rating: Acceptable. Abv: 13%. Price: $25. Source: Sample.

Heggies Vineyard Estate Chardonnay Eden Valley 2015
This wine has restrained but primary fruited aromatics of stones, almond meal and lemon zest. There is some evidence of oak and the acidity is quite zingy, spritzy and almost a little hard. The body medium to full and the length quite subtle but persistent. This is a good chardonnay. Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 13%. Price: $31. Source: Sample.

6 new release Australian whites

At the table today I tasted through six new release Australian whites, all completely blind. No price exceeded $22, although that was not known either. The average quality was very good and as usual blind tasting leads to a few surprises. Interestingly, the two wines with gold medal stickers on them (the first and third) showed well in the bracket. Notes and observations follow.
d’Arenberg The Olive Grove Chardonnay McLaren Vale Adelaide Hills 2016
This wine has restrained aromas of lemon and stones. Dry on the palate, there’s some well handled oak, green apple characters, balance, medium length and some acid zing. A bargain at $15. Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 13.4%. Price: $15. Source: Sample.
Heggies Vineyard Eden Valley Chardonnay 2016
This wine presents with very restrained aromas of stone and meal, and cedar characters suggesting mostly older oak has been used. The palate is dry and restrained in its expressions of lemon and stone, and medium length and also has some acid zing. Rating: Acceptable to Good. Abv: 13.0%. Price: $22. Source: Sample.
Taylors Clare Valley Padthaway Chardonnay 2015
Restrained in impression, this wine opens to aromas of green apple and subtle oak use. Between medium and full bodied on the palate, with good length and a very balanced expression of a cooler climate style chardonnay. Another bargain, this time at $19. Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 13.5%. Price: $19. Source: Sample.
d’Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne McLaren Vale 2017
This is a more aromatic wine than the previous three, with its expression of apricot and dried fruits. No oak on the palate, it is full bodied with a mealy, textured expression and is well made if singular. Rating: Good. Abv: 12.9%. Price: $20. Source: Sample.
d’Arenberg The Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills 2017
This is most evidently sauvignon blanc. Pale in colour, there are pronounced aromatics of gooseberry and very grassy notes. No oak is used, there’s fresh acid on the palate, and 4g/l of residual sugar softens the impression. Mid range length. Rating: Good. Abv: 12.5%. Price: $20. Source: Sample.
Angullong Pinot Grigio Orange Region 2017
Pale in colour with a slight pink hue. Typical pinot gris. A medium intensity aromas of pears on the nose. The palate is between medium and full bodied with no oak influence and a stoney, minerally expression of citrus fruits and pear and an acid zing on the tail. A good example of cool climate pinot grigio. Rating: Good. Abv: 13.0%. Price: $20. Source: Sample.

An Australian sangiovese that works: Angullong Fossil Hill Sangiovese 2016

This is one of the better Australian sangioveses I’ve tasted to date. Perhaps more so than the so-called international varieties, there can be a tendency to evaluate Australian Italian varieties by their degree of correlation to the versions grown on Italian soil. This type of benchmarking is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does present as a challenge as there are dramatic differences in geography and climate to contend with. I felt this wine got it right. There are aromas of licorice and earth. It smells “correct”. The tannins are also right, with an earthy, savoury structure and good length. Rating: Good. Abv: 13.5%. Price: $26. Source: Sample.

Gartelmann Stephanie Orange Region Pinot Gris 2017

This is a very cool climate expression of pinot gris from Gartelmann in the Orange region.  In the glass, it resembles the Italian version of this grape variety rather than the French.  The aromatics are quite floral with orange rind and zest notes.  The acidity on the palate is very firm, maybe a little too much so, with expressions of pear, stones, minerals and some youthful spritz.   (Alc: 13.1%, Region: Orange, New South Wales, Rating: Acceptable to Good, Drink: now, Price: $25, Tasted: October, 2017, Source: Sample)

Read more: 
gartelmann.com.au

Other vintages reviewed:
NA