19 Wine highlights

Today’s tasting comes courtesy of renowned wine distributors Fesq & Co. With a portfolio that includes such leading lights as Leeuwin Estate, Pierro, Moss Wood, Margan, Bests, Carlei & the revitalised Leconfield, it was an embarrassment of riches. I handpicked just a few new vintages & odd labels as time was limited.

Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2008 – Tight, incessantly dry, with fantastic acidity. Needs some time, but glory awaits (I still prefer Larry Cherubino’s Whispering Hill Riesling 2008 over this though). 18.6

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyard SSB 2008 – To tell you the truth, this was somewhat of a disappointment. Tropical and open on the nose, with a fleshy, pineappley palate that whilst still carrying some banana fermentation esters its rather broad and simple. Don’t get me wrong its a lovely drink, but poor value. 17

Moss Wood Semillon 2008 – Wrapped up tight. There was absolutely nothing escaping here but some citrus. Leave it alone. NR

Moss Wood Chardonnay 2007 – Lavish vanillan oak and cashew on the nose, its finely oaked and very fresh and bright. The palate is rich warm and still oaky. Delicious, if oaky and quite tight (in a fleshy Moss Wood way). Needs at least another 12 months in the bottle. Very expensive. 18+

Moss Wood Amy’s Cabernet 2007 – Stop right here. Buy this. Its substantially cheaper than the rest of the Moss Wood reds but carries the same trademark lusciousness. Lovely bright purple colour. Perfumed, clearly varietal lush dark berry nose sprinkled with vanilla. Soft, silky palate with a perfect flow of fruit and chalky tannins. Ripe and moreish, yet well structured all the same. Bargain. 18.5

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Merlot 2006 – I had to do a double take to check this, but yes, it was indeed an 06 vintage – a year that is characterised by leafy, light wines. Nobody told Keith Mugford, for this could come from the ripe years either side of 06 as it is just so dense. Its a big and chunky style, with lots of oak and again framed in a lavish style. Its very tasty & super smooth, but barely recognisable as cool climate Merlot. 17.6

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – Alot has been written about this wine already and as expected, it is a standout. You could probably say that this is a near perfect Moss Wood Cabernet. If you like the style, the lush, beautifully textured, characteristic dusty blackberry Cabernet style of Moss Wood then you should already have at least 6 of these in your cellar. What is more impressive is that you can drink it now (right now, this instant) or in 20 yrs time., the balance is that good. 19

Pierro LTC Sem/Sauv 2008 – I tried this soon after the Ribbon Vale SSB above and the two wines sit at absolute poles apart. This has a tropical nose, but restrained and very fresh, the lemon fruit clearly interwoven with some grassy aromatics. Its a tight estery palate, but there is very very clever winemaking at hand, resulting in a very balanced and interesting Margaret River Dry White. 18.3+

Pierro Chardonnay 2006 – Another wine with some huge (deserving) wraps already. If you like the rich, Margaret River mouthful style of Chardonnay, then this will be your bag. Tight, nutty nose, the palate is very clear and precise with a complex, multi faceted palate. Its creamy, with vanillan oak but rounded off by bracing acidity. It needs time, there is a little alcohol heat on the back, but gosh its stylish, very well made and incredibly powerful. 18.6+

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc 2008 – A pre release sample, this really had its all made. Spicy, varietal nose in the green herbs, lemon grass & passionfruit style that shows a smart winemaker. The palate is intense, with well judged mid palate texture that was very attractive. Dry and very well balanced indeed. 18.5

Seresin Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007 – Its a yr older than the wine above and that tinny asparagus meets tropical fruit character of aged Sauv comes through on the nose. Its a turn off to me as I tend to prefer Marlborough Savvies as fresh as humanly possible. The palate though is cleverly textured, with some barrel characters and obviously high quality fruit. I’d take two bottles of the standard label over this however, as the price is ludicrous $45. 17.8/20

Lucien Crochet Chene Marchand Sancerre 2005 – Little wonder that NZ Sauv has such traction in the UK. This is obviously from a warm yr, but considering the makers reputation, this is very poor. Cooked, smoky, nose with hot tinned passionfruit and a wobbly palate. Its not developing anywhere nice and its ultimately expensive and disappointing – Especially compared to the much cheaper De Ladoucette from a month or so back. 14.5/20

Delas Freres Crozes Hermitage Le Clos 2005 – I’ve had mixed experiences with Crozes Hermitage – so often too meaty and surprisingly lean to my palate. Not this wine. The nose is meaty, peppery and typically rustic, yet not unattractive. The palate is savoury-ripe with a beautiful soft texture that was quite Pinoty in its red fruit femininity, the palate finishes with grainy tannins & no heat. Delicious stuff and (happily) very well balanced. 18.8

Lethbridge Shiraz 2006 – A lovely contrast after the Rhone red, this was a peppery, cool climate style, with lithe red fruit on the nose, tending to a little hammy spice. On the palate it is lean and sinewy at first, but filling out with some spicy red cherry fruit. Quite attractive. 17.8

Lethbridge Indra Shiraz 2006 – A step up from the standard Shiraz, this has more obvious oak and power, filling in the slightly leaner aspect of the former wines palate. Black Pepper on the nose, with a meaty palate edged with red fruit. There is a savoury edge to this that immediately made me think of Julian Castagna’s wines. Finessed and very clever. One to watch. 18.3+

Cascabel Tempranillo 2007 – A rather tasty interpretation of Australian Tempranillo in a light, drink me now style. The nose is ripe and fruity, with dusty pepper and plum, the palate showing really classical acidity, lacking only the tannins to propel it into the big league. Good value and very drinkable. 17.3

Bests Bin 1 Shiraz 2005 – Lovely. Perfumed fruit with a purity of spiced red fruit and dark chocolate. Its a very pristine, red fruit vitality that is so aromatic and attractive. The palate is a long flow of linear fruit and oak (plenty of oak). Freshness is the key here, this tastes like it was bottled yesterday, but with the structure and perfect balanced to last for years. Buy some. (Top value to boot). 18.6

Bests Bin 0 Shiraz 2005 – I only came to Bests quite late in the game, the 04’s being the first to see a place in my cellar. I wish I had paid more attention earlier… This is one magnificent Shiraz. Its a step above the Bin 0 in concentration, with that same purity of red fruit. The palate is denser, but carries the same freshness and definition, with nutty, chocolate oak and endless dark chocolate richness. Its quite beautiful, plush and near perfect, seemingly polished to perfection. 19.1

Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2005 – An under the counter job, this was so obviously a baby that tasting it now seemed sacrilegious. Again with the red fruit, again with the spice, again with the dark chocolate. This had further quirk nuances, with cloves and more open vanillan oak. The palate though is largely shut. It carries the character of the finessed 05 but its so densely wound up in tannin and acidity that it will need several years to show its glories. Leave it alone. On the day I preferred the silken Bin o over this, but I think the ratings will reverse if you can have the patience to wait 5 years before drinking. 18.9