A pinot noir benchmarking is not complete without some Burgundy – the single red varietal grown so widely as a monoculture north of Beaune.

But there is a smidgen of chardonnay there too and this variety I would never belittle.

Sommelier Australia guys Ben Edwards and Dan Sims had herded a few 2008s from various appellations, and fortunately some included a good section of grand cru properties.

After all if one cannot document what the pointy end of Burgundy did in this difficult year, there is little point in recording any overall impressions.

What must be said is that all wines showed well-there was no cork influence (for a change), eight out of eight perfect corks is a record in my presence too. Three wines were grand crus.

More importantly there were no wet vintage effects in these wines: 2008 was a year of poor fruit set, cold summer temperatures, early September rains, parts with botrytis, then a golden spot of sunshine and a big requirement on bunch and berry selection-the norm rejected being around 30%.

With the exception of the small heat-induced 2003 harvest, it is 10 years since the harvest was so low. As for red wines, with the equivalent of 60 million bottles (-6 %), there had not been such a small harvest (with the exception of 2003) since 1984.

Echezeaux 2008 (Ligier-Belair)from Flagey-Echezeaux, 13.5%; (USD 425); +++++; looked tremendous, light colour, cherry actually, lots of skin maceration nose, bilberries fruit spectrum, oak out there, sweetness of fruit abounds, perfume also, wine has fineness now, all the bits are integrated; it comes out of that taste spot on the middle palate with big fruit and big weight, all flavour and some minerality. Good to drink now but the easy aging window is 2011-2020.

Liger-Belair Bottling

Romanee-St-Vivant 2008 (L’Arlot) from Vosne-Romanee, xx%; (USD 425); +++++; has good colour yet no great intensity, cherry dominates, lots of whole bunch smells, lot of fruit lift saying that this is good, new oak pervades for a second, then the fruit intensity returns, the taste follows the aroma in the same order as described, all the flavours are lined up, heavy on alcohol, the final impression is some tannin restraint overtaken by fruit sweetness. Not drinking well yet, little edgy, aging window 2013-2025. AXA owned.

L’Arlot bottling

Clos de la Roche 2008 (Dujac) from Morey St Denis, (USD 295); ++++; just cherry-red, closed, monster wine, leafy, square, monster wine, tannic but sweet, the oak filtering out is outstanding, just a wine muscled up for the future, made in the old style burgundy mould where structure dominates fruit and aromatics, not to drink now, aging window 2015-2020.

Dujac Bottling

Chambertin Clos de Beze 2008 (Bruno Clair) from Gevrey-Chambertin, (USD315); +++1/2; pink-cherry, lots of syrup references from high ripeness, then flowers for pinot, very bright and fresh, modern pinot, quite clean and taut on tasting, lots of minerality coming in, warm meaning hot alcohol on the end, subtle and young, drinking window 2013-2016.

Bruno Clair Bottling

The last grand cru was from the previous vintage: Bonneau du Martray 2007 from Corton, (USD 180); +++++; light cherry, perfume lifts from the glass, is it a simple nose?no, oak char, gaminess from lees aging effects, swirling reveals a very fine palate, linear and layered, mineral, sweet, the palate goes on with elegance, the final flavour is sweet fruit. Drinks well, aging window 2011-2020. Reflects the extra year in bottle.

Also tasted:

Les Vaucrains (Chevillon) 2008 1er Nuits St Georges (++++); La Justice (Alain Burget) 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin (++++); and Clos des Chenes (Glantenay) 2008 Volnay (+++).

Sommeliers Australia is the out there organisation developing excellence in wine selection and presentation in our dining venues.

It’s only a matter of time before we see an Australian become Sommelier du Monde, and on the way there attain Master Sommelier (MS) status.

Ben Edwards-presents Benchmarking Pinot Noir

Dan Sims-presents Benchmarking Pinot Noir

So the tasting developed by members Ben Edwards and Dan Sims titled “Benchmarking Pinot Noir” presented at ecco Bistro, Brisbane on April 20 was an event not to be missed.

Pinots from 2007-2010 (two were just bottled) were assessed blind, and although we see Australasian pinots bottled and drunk quite young, it was a feature to assess some 2008 Burgundies.Australian pinot is in a good place: winemaking is now quite orderly but clever and well understood, yet the challenge of vineyard sites under the marching warmth from climate change remains the challenge.

The Yarra Valley origin wines stays strong (represented here by Coldstream Hills Reserve 2010, +++1/2; USD 53.50; though really still undeveloped in a great production year); and many Yarra pinots will continue to impress.

Mornington Peninsula looked likewise (here Yabby Lake 2009, ++++; USD 53.50; pretty yet well-structured from a testing year); emphasising how pristine Mornington pinot can be.

From Geelong the contenders are fewer (here we tried By Farr Tout Pres 2008, +++++; USD 118; the ultimate in layered pinot, savoury yet high acid, shows winemaking experience), yet this region grows wonderful maritime climate pinot.

In Tasmania there is a lot of drinker focus on this grape and widespread reporting at the moment – so there must be something interesting going on. Maybe climatic warming is assisting the Tasmanians.

Here the representatives (Bay of Fires 2009, +++1/2; USD 41; from many Tassie sites showed a lot of tannin while Freycinet 2009; +++1/2; USD 30; has the sap and backwardness at present, from a single vineyard) showed well for what I make of the season.

From New Zealand came two Martinborough wines (Pencarrow 2009, ++++1/2; USD 17; perfumed, succulent sweet fruit with substance, and Ata Rangi 2009, ++++; USD 73.50; violets, cedar, square, big and oaky) which served the Kiwi cause very well.

From the NZ South Island I discovered a new brand (Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke 2009, USD 112.50; from North Canterbury, cloudy, obviously unfiltered which left my glass like soup, washed out colour and with a bizarre palate centering around heavy extraction).

It is always important to see some USA pinots lined up for relativity (Martinelli Blue Side Ridge 2002, USD 95 from the Sonoma Coast-with cork, was oxidised, but Oregonian Chehalem Reserve 2008, ++++1/2; USD 59; was outstanding, perfumed, preserved fruit, fresh, and tannin below, on cork).

This week the Granite Belt region staged a wonderful tasting for Sommeliers Australia Queensland chapter.

The focus was on some well-respected wines which remained a secret among some of the wine selling community. It was time to tell all.

Commentator Robert Hicks outside Ortiga Restaurant

The presenter was well known Melbournian Robert Hicks who had poked around the outskirts of Stanthorpe town (the vineyards are no more than 25 km away) looking for candidates to show the Sommeliers.

His clutch was good. I came away from the tasting thinking just how suitable the array of varieties grown have with food pairings-there is so much savouriness, minerality and palate cleanness to fit with the bistro foods of today.

Robert pushed forward wines which were fruit expressive-not simple by any means-just plainly varietal yet contained, not oozy or over-syrupy (as ones sees in Mclaren Vale) just plainly neat. That says drink me with ease-and the second glass will taste like the first.

As a backdrop to understanding the wines and their expressiveness one has to remember that the growing elevations are double the Adelaide Hills, three to four times the Yarra Valley and over ten times the Hunter Valley.

The first red bracket went: mourvedre, tempranillo, shiraz, shiraz pinot noir, monastrell tempranillo and malbec.  Eclectic.

Pyramids Road Mourvedre 2010-succulent

 

Two wines drew my focus:

Pyramids Road Limited Release Mourvedre 2010; 14%; (USD 32); ++++1/2; deep cherry, black, aromatic, cherries, cherry cola in the confectionery stream, low oak, wonderful savoury characters, subtle black fruits, slight reductiveness along the funky trail, mild oak on the palate yet sensous, savoury then finally some grip. Taken from barrel, six made, a powerful wine yet also restrained.

 

 

Ridgemill Estate Monastrell Tempranillo 2009; 13.5%, (USD 26.75); ++++; deep cherry purple in the glass, pippy as in berry seeds, smells of concentrated fruits, must be good, has depth, the palate is weighty, the mataro pushing out the tempranillo, black fruits, high acid, low oak level leads to that final savoury finish, minerality, warm in mouth. A take on two Spanish varieties more often made separately.

The final bracket comprised cabernet sauvignon, cabernet malbec merlot, shiraz, shiraz and cabernet merlot.

Jester Hill Touchstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2008-yum

One wine shot my fire.

Jester Hill Touchstone Cabernet Sauvignon2008; 14.1%, (USD 26.75); ++++1/2; medium colour but deep purple for the age, subtle but persistent cabernet nose lift, blackcurrants and mild leafiness, juicy, spice, oak has the cedar notes, delicious mouthfeel, nice drying tannins but in harmony, an easy drink-and more than a single glass.

The full tasting comprised 18 wines: Symphony Hill Pinot Gris 2010; Ballandean Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2010; Ridgemill Estate Pedigree Chardonnay 2010; Golden Grove Vermentino 2010; Tobin Isabella Semillon 2008; Symphony Hill Tempranillo 2009; Twisted Gum Shiraz 2009; Summit Estate The Pinnacle Shiraz Pinot Noir 2009; Golden Grove Malbec 2009; Ridgemill Estate Pedigree Cabernet Malbec Merlot 2008; Pyramids Road Shiraz 2008; Hidden Creek Shiraz 2008; Lucas Estate The Partners Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2006.

 

There are few moments that I write about sauvignon blanc, so this column should be a fleeting one.

But not the case because I enjoy this widely lauded grape with its running mate, semillon.

So the occasion was the discovery of the rattling quality and enjoyment from drinking two Cullen Sauvignon Blanc Semillon wines from Margaret River, Western Australia-Cullen and Mangan Vineyard 2010s.

My enthusiasm for this generally boring grape rises when I cannot smell the telltale overt cut grass, pea pod and other culinary herbs which contribute to goulash. Thus the Cullen wines pass the test.

The second phase of the test however is the palate side – still no herbal characters are accepted where the high points are dumbed-down mineral characters, savoury acidity and some flavour length with dryness.

Vanya Cullen kindly outlines how she achieved this. “2010 Mangan vineyard is 62% sauvignon 38% semillon harvested in the range 11.5-13.4 Be, 13% aged in new oak.

“Cullen Vineyard is 66% sauvignon 34% semillon harvested in the range 9.7 to 12.2 Be with all the sauvignon aged five months in new oak”.

The barrel fermentation and aging is another technique which buries the overt sauvignon aromas – as more interesting and structured components take over.

The point about appreciating the Cullen vineyard is that the biodynamic viticulture in combination with natural yeasts and no doubt higher-than-normal fermentation temperatures, plus high solids in the ferment have totally subverted the herbal and grass character of the variety.

This wine really nails it; the palate screams of interesting mineral byproducts rather than just grass and the Mangan goes a long way there too, with a little squirt of sweet fruitiness just to interrupt the mineral harmony.

Hooray.

In 2009 the same practice occurred with Mangan vineyard 60/40 blend, 10-11.4 Be yielding 11.5% final alcohol (25% barrel). The Cullen vineyard, 70/30 blend, 10-12 Be gave 11.5% final alcohol also (70% new barrel).

It is becoming more common to see sauvignon blanc harvested very early – I saw a Granite Belt vineyard come off at 9.4 Be this year.

Some sauvignon style tasting notes.

Cullen Vineyard SBS 2010-+++++

Cullen Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010; 12% (USD 37); ++++1/2; nose lemony, trifle herbal, oatmeal, taste fruity at the fruit, nectarine sweetness, then a tight coil of lemon sherbet acidity, long in flavour but eminently understated. Oak cleverly hidden.

Cullen Mangan Vineyard SBS 2010-++++1/2

De Bortoli La Boheme Act One Sauvignon Semillon Rolle 2010 Yarra Valley; 12% (USD20); ++++; nose shows no trashy smells of overt sauvignon, this has been hijacked by ferment in large casks, funk driven by solids going in a direction outside the clean and squeaky, the taste less angular than normal sauvignon acid raspiness, more cream and savoury, getting my attention.

Rolle is grown around Nice in France and more so in Corsica-it’s also called vermentino in nearby Sardinia; and is gaining popularity in Australian vineyards.

Fraser Gallop Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Margaret River; 13% (USD 20.85); ++++; shows lemon and sawdust from restraint and precise winemaking; not smelly just enticing; taste is juicy and rich, has lots of latitude in the winemaking; 66/34; 15% French barrique fermented for 2 months, good peach, lively though, very good example where sauvignon is minor.

My benchmark semillon sauvignon is white Bordeaux; heavily oaked wines made quite brutishly and never the aromatic finesse that the Australians offer. However they continue to support my interest as the wines show and also develop palate weight which is missing in many of the skinny Australian styles.