The Granite Hills (née Knight’s Granite Hills) winery reputation was built on two wines: Riesling and Shiraz. For years, the name was synonymous with peppery, utterly cool climate Shiraz, and juicy, lively cool climate Riesling, both of which were sourced from the estates old vines in the frosty heights of the Macedon ranges.
But of late the brand has all but disappeared, withdrawing from the wine trade and the tasting circuit, almost as if it had fallen into some sort of winery blackhole (which claims wineries from time to time, before they get sold/go broke/withdraw into themselves hermit style).
So when presented with an opportunity to try a small lineup of new release, I ticked the yes box, consciously buoyed by a distant memory of some very tasty late 90’s wines.
And what a disappointment it was.
I’m not sure what has happened to the fine cool climate Victorian wines of old, but these blunt, confusingly overripe examples are such a departure that I had to do a double take to work out whether I was tasting the right wines. Admittedly, there was no Rizza in this lineup, so I’m not going to completely write off the entire range, but I still can’t help but question what the intentions are, given that I see these wines as a departure from the medium bodied style that made the winery famous….
The wines:
(Please note: These are my personal opinions, and I am absolutely intolerant of what I view as excessively ripe wines, hence the low scores. I urge you to make your own mind up about whether you agree or disagree, and feel free to comment about it below).
Granite Hills Chardonnay 2008 (Macedon, Vic)
$20, Screwcap, 13.5%
I am guessing here, but given that the winery has a bright new website (suggesting a renewed focus), perhaps the somewhat variable older wines (such as the two reds below) are just relics of a slightly unhappy period in the wineries recent history? If so, then you could assume that a newish vintage Chardonnay would be the first place where a paradigm shift would be evident?
But I was wrong, for I think this an unnecessarily old fashioned Chardonnay, with all the trademark foibles that people love to hate in this much maligned variety.
It actually looks quite youthful, with a bright, straw yellow colour, but the brightness is somewhat of a misnomer, for the nose is brassy, broad and dominated by sweet coconut and vanillan French oak, caked with bubblegum and white bread yeast characters. It’s a heady and powerful if unwieldy nose that smells overwrought and slightly lacking in freshness. Still, dig deep enough and there lies minerals in there somewhere, if it is contained by edifice.. (there is hope yet).
Sadly, the story gets worse on the palate, with harsh, extractive and plain unpleasant oak tannins ruining whatever good work the fruit could ultimately yield. What’s left behind is basically stripped of it’s freshness, a wine that is so far from the textured, oak-lite and fine modern Chardonnay benchmark that it not only feels dated, but highlights all the bad things about Australian Chardonnay. 14.5/82.
Granite Hills Merlot 2005 (Heathcote, Vic)
$24, Screwcap, 15%
15% in a supposedly cool climate Merlot? Tell em’ they’re dreaming. Or, at least they’re dreaming if they want any sort of varietal character. I understand that it is quite possible to get grapes really ripe in Heathcote, but I would also argue that it does nothing for the quality of the wine produced, notably at the 14+ baume mark, and especially not for Merlot.
Already bricking at the rim and looking less than youthful, this has a slightly volatile, red fruited nose, showing some of the leaf litter character of bottle aged Merlot, if masked by stressed fruit. Ditto for the palate, which shows a smidgen of ripe fruit, which is ultimately overridden by alcohol and inelegant, stressed fruit flavours, finishing bitter.
Ultimately overripe and on the decline, sadly, this might have been a good wine a year or so ago, but for my tastes this is now rather unenjoyable and going backward at speed. 14.0/76
Granite Hills Shiraz 2004 (Macedon, Vic)
$35, Screwcap, 15%
Once the most peppery Shiraz in the land, yet you wouldn’t have guessed it by this wine, which just smells like ripe Shiraz grapes from an indeterminable origin. Interesting to note that this spent a massive 3 years in oak.
Blood red in colour with a rather light rim. Nose has searing volatility over cherry liqueur, cranberries, roast beef and chocolate. Positively stinks of alcohol. Underneath it starts quite pleasant, sweet and generous, but the alcohol quickly destroys that, leaving just heat and an empty, sweetly oaked carcass. Hard tannins to finish.
The question here is, what is the point of making a Macedon Shiraz, if you get it so ripe that it stops smelling or tasting like Macedon Shiraz?
A confusingly unenjoyable wine that I think is only going to get worse with age…. 15/85
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16 Comments
Interesting. I tasted the 2004 Shiraz with a group of people (quite a few a little more experienced than me). I remember the main comment was that any fruit intensity had left the building & we would have preferred to try it younger. Certainly oak was left behind.
I can't remember any comments on alcohol or over-ripeness, but it was one shiraz amongst about 30 (in two hours) so I'm not suggesting it isn't there.
In any case, an unimpressive wine.
interesting thought provoking review
JP: Sounds about right. Flow on effect of overripe/unbalanced wines = premature ageing.
What are your thoughts on Macedon Shiraz, the regional charater etc? And are you familiar with any others? Eg Metcalfe Valley of Cobaw Ridge.
sorry *or Cobaw Ridge
Have had the Cobaw Ridge Shiraz, and liked it (though I think it's a Shiraz/Viog?).
Beyond that it's all Chardonnay and Pinot (plus their bubbly forms).
As for regional characters, I always see spearmint in Macedon wines. It's not necessarily an unripe thing per se, but it seems to be very prevalent in the wines.
I don't mind it actually, and in Pinot it can be a rather delicious character indeed. Bindi and Curly Flat show it in spades (to good effect).
Actually, Mr Pringle, you know Curly Flat better than anyone, do you see spearmint in the wines?
It is Shiraz Viognier, and now labelled simply Syrah. We feel it’s much more reflective of the style of wine or vineyard produces. The current release is around 13% ABV for the record.
My parents are actually the proprietors of Cobaw Ridge.
I think it’s fair to say that Chardonnay is eminently suited to Macedon.
However, when it comes to reds, the wider region is far more complicated than the dominance of Pinot suggests (and isn’t this the case in all Australian wine regions! We’re all still finding our feet really).
The southern end of the region, south of the Great Dividing Range, is logically much cooler than the northern area, roughly around Knights and Cobaw Ridge, which do comfortably ripen Shiraz, ours is now around 13 be. And a little behind Knights due to the increased elevation of our vineyard.
On the mint topic, we do see it occasionally in the very small amount of Pinot we produce, but not as often in the Shiraz. Surprisingly, as Andrew Jefford recently commented, because the vineyards are almost completely surrounded by state forest.
Interesting you note it so heavily in the mentioned wines.
Joshua Cooper
Thanks Joshua, thanks very much for the insight, particularly with regards to the variation within the region. So often (and I'm guilty of this too) we tend to generalise across a region without realising that Australian regions (in particular) can be so large (think Great Southern for example).
Back to mint again: I don't actually find it to be a negative, just a notable feature, a regional pointer if you may.
On the topic though, what are your thoughts regarding pepper Shiraz characters and ripeness: Do you think there is a point (a be point even, which is naturally vintage variable) at which the grapes 'lose' their varietal pepper? Is the 'pepperiness' a desirable character in your family's Shiraz grapes?
Thanks again for your input!
You’re most welcome.
I think certainly there is a point where you start losing “terroir” if you like characters, but this is so site and year specific it’s hard to pin down. When you look at some of the Shiraz coming out of Heathcote for example, they can be 15.5% ABV and not suffer from any effects of high alcohols seen elsewhere. The same can go for the Southern Rhone.
We basically think though that the most interesting wines are made in the most marginal of climates. Which means Syrah for us. I think the style of wine is simply true to the vineyard.
Pepper is definitely part of our wine. I found the following article a very interesting read on the topic. http://geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz/index.php?ArticleID=131
I see our wines usually in the two cassis predominant classes. Which to be honest is how I like to drink Shiraz, albeit a more classical style. But one with more substance and character than the typical big Aussie style.
Cheers, Joshua
Thanks for your opinion. Interesting…. Ah well I'll stick to my McLaren Vales anyway!! For Shiraz at least.
Never really picked up on the mint in any Curly Flat Pinot. Probably too busy concentrating on how tasty it is 🙂 Don't review them much on the basis that I'm probably rather biased…
Joshua,
I like Geoff's assumption that all Syrah/Shiraz that smells of boysenberry is overripe – a totally ridiculous generalisation if ever there was one, but each to their own (and he is typically an excellent technical taster).
Aside from this, in the longer term do you believe that Syrah/Shiraz is the 'champion' variety for Cobaw Ridge?
Apologies for the tardiness, very busy of late.
Syrah was picked last Thursday, 13.2 Be and ph 3.4, and looks fantastic.
Of course, generalisations abound. But I think it’s as much that he has shifted the reference frame to the ripeness spectrum of N.Z. as much as anything. Hard to get rum ‘n’ raisin there!
In regard to the “champion variety” as far as red is concerned I think it always has been Shiraz/Syrah, and based on recent vintages (still with a few percent viognier co-fermented) should continue to be. We are though planting a new Pinot Noir vineyard, to ad to our existing acre. Higher and less sun exposed position than the Syrah, three more clones, low trained and high density. Time will tell!
Cheers,
Joshua
Andrew,
You missed the Kiwi's other classic: "less-than-optimally-ripe French style."
So there we have it, most Australian shiraz is over-ripe. French syrah is under-ripe. And NZ syrah is just right.
Been reading too many children's stories I think…..
Not sure what you mean there Anon but the ripeness cliches are indeed just that – under/overripe wines are everywhere!
Read the NZ wine judge's comments. He says French syrah's are unripe:
La Rouvre review: "in a less-than-optimally-ripe French style" Taken out of context, but that's what it says.