cognitivebottletherapy

2019 Henry Fessy Morgon Crus de Beaujolais

Despite another hot vintage, 2019 does seem to have produced bottles with more freshness and bright crispness than 2018. Starts off shyly and reluctantly but a day‘s oxygen brings bubblegum, salami or jamon with herbs rubbed thereon, raspberry jam and cherries. Light to medium weight, perhaps a little abrupt in the acid and tannin department but with a pleasing stoney mineral feel. The fruit weight’s a bit washy and simple but does have some detail. Sweetens nicely through the end. Just enough to keep the interest to the end of the bottle which is perhaps the real test?

14% alcohol. Nomacorc sugar cane polymer stopper. $23.40 in a six.

91 points, just.

2017 Pyren Vineyard Earthscape Franc

Pyren caught my attention in the early 2000s with a couple of bottles that were much less bombastic than the high alcohol and extract reds that clamoured for our attention then. Charm more than muscles. A six pack of this didn’t attract a bid other than mine at a recent no reserve auction, so I ended up with half a dozen for less than $70, thank goodness a good friend is willing to share the spoils for better or worse. This won’t help the relationship if he doesn’t like the bitter herbs of serious whole bunch action. Day one the scribble reads, Northern Rhône stemmy smoke, herbs and flowers, sour cherry preserve, then the herby alpine meadow blast takes over with a bitter, sour edge. Goodness though, the fruit fights back the whole way, good acid and surprisingly melded tannin considering the stalks. The day two note reads, the whole bunch and nothing but the bunch, well almost. Reminds me of an old Bannockburn without the mucky barrel edge. As with Bannockburn you have to admire the conviction to the whole cluster. Once more though the fruit quality holds its ground convincingly. Good different as that annoying ad suggests. Can’t help thinking though that perhaps Cabernet Franc has enough naturally leafy bits without recourse to more green complexing. A tiny glass left on day three suggests this might smooth out with time locked away until it behaves.

13.5% alcohol. Screwcap. $11.32 auction, that’s a lot of interest for not much.

Sort of 92 with stems, 94 without, maybe?

2019 Ulithorne Chi Grenache Shiraz

Oh well, another of those bottles that tries to convince its quality by sheer heft. First growth Bordeaux fetches a lot more with much less glass. Nonetheless, Blewitt Springs seems to be a sub region producing Grenache of deliciousness, albeit possibly compromised by the addition of Shiraz here. Comfortably medium weight, starting with savoury peanuts, cherry jam, strawberry perfume, spices and a slightly salty finish, holding up well on naturally ripe acidity and velvet tannins. I do like it’s composure and making, less extraction, less oak, more interest. Higher toned perfumes emerge, roses, strawberry juice, a few of my favourite things. Poise and elan rather than weight and muscle, raindrops on roses, that’s enough Sound of Music.

14.5% alcohol but not showing too much warmth. Screw cap. $13.65 at auction which is quite a score these days as more people with Covid avoidance time on their hands plunder the lists.

93 points.

NV Dehours et Fils Grande Réserve Brut

I wish I could raise the same enthusiasm for writing a post as I do for actual drinking. A few really good bottles stood out in recent weeks, so let’s get battling WordPress’ weird spell checking. This mouthwatering, appetite enhancing bottle of fizzy fun is mostly Pinot Meunier and thanks to an unusually informative back label, it’s based on the 2018 harvest with some reserve wine from a solera started in 1998. The dosage is a low 3.8 grams which completely disappeared as a good mouthful seems to finish with an arid smack of ripe acidity. Almost looks zero sugar addiction. Austere and tense the first day, so much better the second as sweet yeasty patisserie gives way to wide yellow fruit and crystalline citrus like yuzu or Meyer lemon. Hints of tart hedgerow fruits too. Drives on through as that acidity rises. There’s an extraordinary transparency for Champagne as you can sort of taste what those Meunier grapes were like at picking. Fascinating drink and very different to the corporate calm of some bubbles.

12% alcohol. Cork. Swapped for some difficult to get mail list bottles. Think I’m ahead with this.

93 points.

2017 Salomon Estate Dark Pearl Cabernet SFM Fleurieu Peninsula

Happy memories of generous Austrian trade commission funded tastings a couple of decades ago jogged my memory when a few bottles of this popped up on the temptation that’s my favourite auction site. What’s Austrian wine got to do with Cabernets from near McLaren Vale you ask? Well, the Austrian maker, Salomon, enjoyed Australia so much, they invested and produced some reds of more restraint and drinkability than was fashionable on the Parker tasting bench. This is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon it seems, with the remainder split between Franc and Merlot. Despite the advertised 14.5% alcohol, this was bright and fresh. Loads of Australia in the form of mint and bush land in the wet, then rich cassis and berries, little bit of iron and chocolate to add detail. Deliciously concentrated and fruited but it skips away to the end with vigour, hitting a swell of settled acidity and very ripe sweet tannin as it frolics. Definitely Australia not Austria.

14.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $15 at auction, good buying.

93 points.

2020 Bodegas Monte Ory Garnacha Navarra

There’s a few new French, Italian and in this case Spanish direct imports on the shelves of Dan Murphy’s barns at tempting prices. So far about one in three has been interesting and good enough to consider a review and more importantly a rebuy. Unsurprisingly Grenache has featured strongly and when it comes from Navarra it tickles my fancy. This took a while to open up, a bit surly from both recent bottling and shook up after a long sea voyage? With a little patience, smells of musk, roses, strawberries, cherries, nut paste and sweet green herbs emerge. The same sort of light to just medium bodied flavours are cinched by clean fine and ripe acidity with a lovely tug of minerality. Not the most concentrated but delicious fruit for $13. Sort of resembles a basic Gredos altitude Garnacha, no bad thing.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $12.40 in a six bottle purchase.

90 points, bonus for style and grace.

End of February 2022 and it’s a Dan’s member special, two for $13. Probably the best $6.50 bottle I’ve had for a long time, possibly the only one too. Still pretty brisk with a green edge but tart fresh fruit elbows its way through. Bit of meaty reduction in some bottles but as close to what I like in young Spanish Garnacha as you’ll get for not much. Seems Spain may have been into good Garnacha for a while? Think this sort is best cool and young, like we all were once. Goes extremely well from the fridge with a Sunday night pizza.

Now 91 points

2016 The Graillot Project No.2 Heathcote Syrah

A collaboration between the Graillots of Crozes fame and a reasonably well off Melbourne wholesaler and importer makes you think this might be outside the generously ripe parameters of mainstream Shiraz. Oh, it’s Syrah. The perfume does indeed include that smoky, floral whole bunch waft. There’s spice, raspberry and an earthy bay note. Good to actually drink, less extraction, less oak, less winery fiddling than some. Despite the reminders of the Rhône, there’s a core of loose knit broader shouldered Heathcote fruit. Relaxed and friendly. The second day, it gets darker, dried fruits, woody stems and a nibble of fruit and nut chocolate. Nonetheless, still very nice to drink, good acidity and tannin, ripe and succulently drying. Entente cordiale.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $30 ish.

93 for impact, 92 to settle.

2020 Vinatero Old Vine McLaren Vale Grenache

At the prices Aldi sell their wine, this is indeed a pauper’s Pinot. Initially shows that bubblegum like whole berry carbonic ferment thing, roses, lipstick, cherry juice heading toward kirsch, maybe some sappy stem to cut the fruit sweetness. Grenache suits the Vale so well, naturally hanging onto mouthwatering ripe acidity and a brush of tannin to slice the sweet fruit. Light to barely medium bodied. Really nicely made, a cute wine! Does get a little washy and dilute through the mouth but the perfume resonates and it did hang on over a couple of days without falling apart. Does make you wonder how long bargains like this will continue as McLaren Vale Grenache gets increasingly popular? These relatively small makes of regional specialties may not build a long term brand but they do suit the Aldi way, opportunistically snaffling and putting on the shelf at a price until all gone. Just don’t expect it to be there next time. Good fun for the jaded wine nut.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $11.99.

90 points.

2015 De Bortoli The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

From an original Yarra Valley vineyard in Dixon’s Creek, the area not actually the creek itself I think. Full ripe Cabernet smells, almost lush, backgrounds of earth and pencil case austerity too. Just right ripeness in the mouth with black currant, touch of gravel, black olive, all sweet but in no way sugary. Satisfying old style Yarra Cabernet with a fine mesh of milky tannin and natural acidity. Touch of cedar oak in low volume adds seasoning. Another of those that shows just how good 2015 was in the valley where it’s best grape still struggles to be noticed in the sea of Pinot and Chardonnay. Unless you’re from Mount Mary or similar royalty of course.

13.8% alcohol. Screw cap. $27 RRP but discounted to close to $20 and still there’s plenty to be bought.

93 points.

2019 Pájaro de Buen Agüero Garnacha Cariñena

Is there better value than an authentic, firmly of the place Garnacha from Aragón? Sure, there’s attractive prices for Bordeaux grapes transplanted to the new world but do they have the natural balance, detail and unadorned charm of tough old Grenache? This is much more in the medium weight, rich in extracted bits than recent vintages. Disappointingly it was stinky with reductive smokiness when opened but patience really paid off a day later. So much more open, there was a little balsamic lift to a summer berry sweetness, a spring breeze of roses, darker just picked cherries and plums in the middle. Firmly put in place by genuinely ripe skin tannin grip. Fresh and mouthwatering to finish. Admittedly, not the most lingering of ends and a bit washy but for less than $10 it’s bargain of the year so far. Great effort from those old sun blasted, windswept vines.

Forgot to note the alcohol, denial probably. Screw cap. $9 from Aldi.

91 points.