2006 Tempus Two "Melange" white Pewter Label Australia

2006 Tempus Two "Melange" white Pewter Label Australia

The roots of this wine are firmly planted in one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, and one of Australia’s best known wine families. Founder Lisa McGuigan is the fourth generation of a dynasty of celebrated vintners, the McGuigans. The iconic cellar door nestled in the foothills of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback Ranges, just outside Pokolbin, reflects their determination to blend the essence of tradition with the magic of innovation. In 1996, the pull of the vine outweighed Lisa’s determination to strike out on her own, and she returned to the Hunter Valley with a mission – to re-interpret the traditional cellar door, and to provide a tasting experience which was sophisticated, innovative and contemporary.

Her goal was to create a boutique range of wines which stood out from the crowd. Armed with her frontline understanding of what customers really want; Lisa finessed her approach. Launched in 1998 as Hermitage Road, in honor of the street on which Lisa grew up, the brand started small, in the corner of the McGuigan winery. The business grew rapidly, propelled by Lisa’s unique approach to marketing – success which brought the brand into the sights of the French Appellations body which took issue with her use of “Hermitage”, a protected wine region in the Rhone Valley.

And so, Tempus Two, which is Latin for “second time” was born, creating a truly Australian iconic brand. Built on Lisa McGuigan’s passion to create an ultra-premium wine brand, Tempus Two uses innovative winemaking techniques to create modern wine styles. The Tempus Two philosophy of selecting the finest fruit from its most renowned region ensures that the brand applauds those who appreciate quality wine. Award-winning and unique packaging embodies the innovation, elegance and finesse that are the hallmark of Tempus Two.

Tempus Two offers three distinct and unique ranges:

Pewter label: Elegant and pure, the Pewter range with its distinct bottles and unique pewter labels sources its varieties from Australia's premier wine regions to ensure each wine is a benchmark of its style.

Copper label: The handcrafted range with its label of stamped copper represents the combination of new wave winemaking techniques and innovative packaging.

Varietals label: Pristine varietal and regional characteristics define this range of affordable and easy drinking wines.

FYI: 2006 Tempus Two “Mélange” was crafted and sold under the “Pewter label”, and only a few bottles remain on the market. However, it has become somewhat of a collector item, because if you go to the winery website at www.tempustwo.com.au , you will realize that the 2007 vintage “Mélange” was crafted and sold under the “Copper label” and the name was changed to “Mélange à Trois”. Try not to mélange yourself between the two, or get ambushed in a mixed “à Trois”.



2006 Tempus Two "Melange" white Pewter Label Australia
Suggested retail price $17-$19
Distributed by Noble House Wines in NYC

The 2006 Tempus Two "Mélange" white Pewter Label is a blend of 58% Viognier, 37% Marsanne and 5% Roussane. Offering generous fruit, depth and complexity, it tastes like a Northern Rhone white with a bit more acidity and fatness at the same time. Pale lemony yellow in color, it offers opulent aromas of ripe apricots and orange blossom with hints of wild honey. The palate is juicy, rich, balanced and luscious with same mix of apricot, orange blossom, lemon and honey flavors tainted with a hint of minerality. The overall palate is enhanced by a clean fresh lemon acidity giving the wine length and structure. Lovely and creamy with a refreshing attitude and a full mouth-feel. To uncorked with seafood and white meat.
Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the winery website at www.tempustwo.com.au and from the following website: www.australianvintage.com.au


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2008 Tarra Warra Estate Pinot Noir Rose Yarra Valley Victoria Australia

2008 TarraWarra Estate Pinot Noir Rose Yarra Valley Victoria Australia
Suggested retail price $13-$15
Distributed by Noble House Wines in NYC

Coming from Yarra Valley, one the leading cool climate wine region of Victoria (and Australia), and crafted at the over 20 year old winery established by Marc and Eva Besen, known for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this fairly simple and easy going salmon-color wine has strawberry and raspberry aromas. The palate reveals bright freshness and balance, with strawberries flavors. Nothing extraordinary, but the clean dry finish makes the wine a perfect summer drink. Serve it with appetizers for a brunch, a light meal or to enhance a warm afternoon conversation.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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Find more info about this wine on the winery website at www.tarrawarra.com.au

2006 O'Leary Walker "Blue Cutting Road" Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Clare Valley Australia

2006 O'Leary Walker "Blue Cutting Road" Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Clare Valley South Australia
Suggested retail price $11-$13
Distributed by Noble House Wines in NYC

"O'Leary Walker" is a jointed venture winemaking company created in 2001 by David O'Leary and Nick Walker. They first became friends at the Roseworthy winemaking college in 1979. After 20 years working (separately) for big wineries and many accolades later, these two illustrious winemakers decided to take an opportunity of a life time and joined forces to control their own destiny and especailly to produce quality wines on a smaller scale to ensure high quality and consistency. "O'Leary Walker" was born.

In the late 1890's the Blue Cutting Road was hand dug by Polish settlers whilst waiting for gainful employment. Blue Cutting Road is situated in the area known today as the Polish Hill River region of the Clare Valley. Not only does this road remain a usable summer bush track connecting two main roads. It dissects the two vineyards that provide valuable, flavorsome fruit for a range of O'Leary Walker wines.

Much of the settlers' influences have filtered throughout the beautiful Clare Valley and many of the fruits of their labors are still evident today. O'Leary Walker pay homage to their enduring qualities with this wine.

The 2006 Blue Cutting Road Cabernet-Merlot blend was fermented in small (2000 liters) open stainless tanks and shows the benefits. The expressive fruity nose expresses distinct aromas of blueberry mix with cassis and mulberry spice, complemented by hints of cedar and tobacco leaf. Like a freshly crushed bunch of wild blueberry and dark berry with spice and dirt (in a good earthy way), the palate is fruity, full without being heavy or overripe, and mouth filling with balanced acidity and long, present fine tannins. To enjoy with spicy BBQ and grilled red meat.

Overall, even if it still ridges 14,5% of alcohol, this wine was enjoyable and even surprising because of its balanced attitude, its pleasant varietal character and its dryness compared with the usual and well established overripe, jammy, fruit bomb profile of most Australian red wines on the American market (no offense).

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from their website at www.olearywalkerwines.com


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Tasting Session: Domaine Select portfolio 08.21.08

Hi everybody,

Alison from "Domaine Select" (the importer / distributor) came back today with very interesting wines, 2 from China and 1 from Barossa Valley. But let's concentrate on the Chinese wines first.

Special guest of the day, David Henderson, owner and founder of Dragon's Hollow Vineyards, a major winery and wine distribution company in China, was also here to introduce 2 of his wines: an unoaked Chardonnay and a Riesling from his Dragon's Hollow Vineyards 1600 acres winery located 625 miles west of Beijing in the Zhingun province (northern part of China). The winery produces classic international grape variety based wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Merlot and Syrah. Out of the 1600 acres, only 200 acres of especially selected parcel of vines are dedicated to produce wines for the international market (roughly 100.000 cases), the rest is sold through the local market. I was really please to welcome David Henderson at the store and found his Chinese wines very interesting. Ant MacKenzie, also winemaker for Mud House and Spy Valley (2 leading wineries of New Zealand, located in Marlborough), has surly something to do with the quality of these wines.

David Henderson invited me to play a blind tasting game of 3 Chardonnays including his Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay. The game was to identify his Chardonnay first, but also to determine if his wine could compete and equal in quality other Chardonnays from elsewhere at the same retail price point (and in my opinion, it did). I didn't know which one was his wine, but after tasting the three wines twice, I was confident in my choice and nailed the right one. Here are the descriptions of the three wines and a synopsis or a resume of the tasting.


1) 2007 Jean-Paul Brun "Terres Dorees" Beaujolais Blanc Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $13-$16

The nose is inviting, clean, fresh and almost creamy with floral hints of chamomile and notes of lemon, honeydew, golden apple. The palate is ample, rich and soft, with a creaminess enhanced by the malolactic fermentation. The finish is quite long and concentrated yet balanced by a great acidity and seems to expand in complexity. This is a lovely example of Beaujolais Blanc that confirms the benchmark position of Jean-Paul Brun as one of the leading producer of Beaujolais (white and red). It also gives a different dimension to Chardonnay and exposes the versatility of this rather common and often neglected grape variety. Highly recommended, one of our favorite Chardonnays at the store.


2) 2006 Louis Jadot Chablis Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $18-$21

The nose is green (greener than the previous one for sure), with more acidity and more minerals. The palate starts with a very good attack showing good acidity, liveliness and fruit, but unfortunately the mid-palate doesn't follow the same path and seems to be slightly unbalanced. The finish is ok, not great and reflects somehow the overproduction and lack of focus of the Louis Jadot brand in general. Don't get me wrong, I do have nothing against Louis Jadot, but I just think that the brand is a bit too mainstream for me and somewhat crowd pleasing for non-connoisseur. Granted, it is often very consistent from a vintage to another, and seems very reliable to some people, but frankly I prefer their higher-end cuvees. I do think that their entry level wines don't meet the connoisseur level and can be easily outmatched by smaller producers offering greater quality wines for the same price or less (even from China...no comment).

3) 2006 Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay China (eastern foot of the "He Lan" Mountain appellation)
Suggested retail price $12-$15

First, I need to admit that this wine was easily recognizable amongst the others because of its texture (not Burgundian at all, with a "je ne sais quoi" of New World touch to it without being over extracted or too ripe), but also because of its bright acidity that reminds me more of some other grape (sort of a sauvignon like mouthfeel).

The nose is bright, clean, fresh with aromas of citrus, lemon peel or zest, green apple and a touch floral. Light on his feet, the palate is refreshing, balanced and clean yet not too complex but very pleasing for a first experience with a Chinese white wine (I tasted some reds before, but no whites until today). The finish is simple and easy going with an excellent balance. Overall, even if a bit light for my taste, I enjoyed it very much and I think my customer will be please to experience such wine. I think that the older the vines will get the better and more interesting the wine will taste. For now, it is rather uncomplicated, discreet and straightforward. I hope that the next vintages will bring more layers of complexity and depth. But in this kind of price range, it remains a very strong value (especially in today's market where everything is so expensive). I just wish that David could have come 3 months earlier, because the lightness of this wine and the vivid acidity that it shows seem to be more appropriate for the Spring and Summer months. Let's just hope that we will have a warm Indian fall. This a wine to discover and to appreciate on salad, oyster, shell fish and grilled river white fish.


After this very interesting tasting game, David poured me a glass of his second wine:

2006 Dragon's Hollow Vineyards Riesling China (eastern foot of the "He Lan" Mountain appellation)
Suggested retail price $12-$15

Dragon's Hollow Riesling is definitely more expressive on the nose than the Chardonnay (although it remains quite discreet and restrain compare to some Alsace or German Rieslings). It displays floral and fruity aromas of white flowers, honeysuckle, white peach and apricot skin mixed with notes of wet stone minerality. The palate is dry (dryer than an Alsace and definitely more than a German Riesling) and offers similar flavors of citrus, lime, honeysuckle and a twist of petroleum. Showing more depth and multiple layers of fruit combined with a great acidity, it appears less mono dimensional than the Chardonnay. Both have a great balance and some interesting features despite the fact that they are both quite light; yet they will surely quench the thirst of someone looking for a fresh, bright, clean and down-to-earth white wine.


In my opinion:

The wines from China just started to arrive on the American market and they are fairly unknown to most drinkers. Fortunately, made out of international grape varieties, they will ease the expected hesitation of the consumers at first.

Unfortunately, for some people, it will just be another Chardonnay or another Cabernet from another country. It may fashion a certain interest at the beginning, but who knows how long is it going to last, especially if they don't rapidly focus on high quality wines.

If they don't start to offer wines made from lesser known (or less commercial) grape varieties, after a while the Chinese wines may end up not selling and not necessarily continue to attract the customers (except may be by curiosity or because the wine is a truly good value compare to other wines from other countries made from the same grape).

They may have to specialize into certain grapes to keep up with the market (like Malbec in Argentina; Carmenere in Chile; Tannat in Uruguay: Shiraz in Australia; Sauvignon in New Zealand; Riesling in Germany; Gruner Veltliner in Austria; Tempranillo and Garnacha in Spain; Sangiovese and Nebbiolo in Italy; Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Oregon; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Bordeaux and California; etc...only to talk about the most well-known grapes, because they are dozens more coming from the 70 leading wine producing countries in the world).

However, I'm glad that there are quite a few open minded people like David Henderson to lead the way into introducing winemaking and wine tradition in new countries. I wish him luck with Dragon's Hollow Vineyards and will be proud to be one of the first in New York to carry his wines and suggest them to my valuable customers.


The last wine of this tasting was:

2005 The Colonial Estate "Explorateur" Old vines Shiraz Barossa Valley Australia
Suggested retail price $29-$32

After tasting the 2005 Colonial Estate "Envoy" GSM the previous day, I need to admit that I wasn't as please by the "Explorateur". The "Explorateur" has a warm nose with some hints of alcohol, and doesn't seem as attractive on the nose as the "Envoy". It displays interesting and rich aromas of deep dark ripe berries with floral and spicy notes. It is definitely not as elegant (for an Australian wine, don't get me wrong on this one) as the "Envoy". It is bigger, broader and shows much more alcohol than I would like to. The finish has a lot of dark chocolate, mocca, earthy spices and ripe plum tones. Overall, it is not bad, quite well balanced (for an Australian wine...). Although, I can see people getting into it and loving it, it is definitely not my style of wine (I like them fresher, juicier, earthier with more acidity and balance, less ripeness and less oak, but it is only my taste...).

see you soon for some new wine tasting sessions,

cheers!

LeDom

Tasting Session: Domaine Select portfolio 08.20.08

Hi everybody,

Today's tasting constituted of 3 wines from the Domaine Select portfolio (Distributor / Importer).

NV Alfred Gratien Brut Rose Champagne (producer at Epernay, Champagne) France
Suggested retail price $65-$68

Established in 1864, Alfred Gratien is an old traditional champagne house where the champagne is made by the 4th generation winemaker. This so called "hand made" champagne is barrel fermented in small barrel then age for a minimum of 3 years. This Rose is apparently fairly new in the New York market. Made from top quality grapes sourced trough out some of the best producers including some of their own parcels, Alfred Gratien Brut Rose is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. The resulting champagne is a great combination of these three grapes.

Delicate, fresh and clean floral aromas on the nose mingle with rose petals, tight cherries notes and hints of yeast. The palate is elegant, delicate, refreshing, vivid, with a medium to fine mousse. Light on his feet, crisp, fruity, easy to drink, soft and well rounded on the finish, this is an enjoyable, pretty rose champagne with a bright, racy, pink grapefruit attitude. Perfect as an aperitif, for a toast during a wedding or any other type of celebration.


2005 Mas du Goudaneau Cotes du Rhone France
Suggested retail price $14-$17

This wine is made in a new winery built and owned by Helene and Daniel Boulle of Domaine des Aphillanthes, a classic house of the Cotes du Rhone. 2005 is the first vintage released from this new and exciting project. Compare to Domaine des Aphillanthes, Mas du Goudaneau is a slightly more modern style, more fruit forward and less earthy, but still with a twist of traditionalism. They use organic and biodynamic method for this wine. It was fermented then aged in concrete vat with no fining and no filtration before bottling. This pure natural fruit juice with addition of any kind.

A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan, Mas du Goudaneau shows aromas of dark ripe berries, dark chocolate and spices. The attack is ripe and fruity, followed by a soft, rich and smooth mid-palate. Flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, leather, ripe plum and fig fusion nicely in this rich Cotes du Rhone. The finish is long, earthy and structured with very good tannins from the grapes (no oak ageing). A very nice value and good mid-season wine. to enjoy this fall with a nice steak or even a stew.


2005 The Colonial Estate "Envoy" Barossa valley Australia
Suggested retail price $28-$32

There is no need to introduce you to this estate owned by Jonathan Maltus of Chateau Teyssier (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru). This british aristocrat brought his know-how and savoir faire to Australia and now produces, since a few years, Australian wines with Bordeaux flair in the Barossa valley. Often referenced in the famous UK magazine Decanter and praised by Robert Parker, Jr., the Colonial Estate is mixing traditional Bordeaux style vinification with super ripe grapes. The resulting wines are often rich, complex and often more balanced than other already long established Australian wineries (no names) that produce extra over extracted shiraz wines with more than 15% of alcohol.

The nose is not shy, offering ripe aromas of blueberry, cassis, earth, almost floral (blue flowers) notes and spices. it almost seems that the nose has some kind of freshness and minerality, which is rare for a Barossa wine. Despite the slight touch of alcohol toward the end (fairly integrated if you ask me compare to a lot of other barossa valley wines), it is a pretty wine, quite elegant and rich. The finish develops notes of dark chocolate, mocca, and earthy spices. Very well balanced with a great acidity (another rare feature), this wine won my respect. Pair it with BBQ and grilled red meat.

LeDom