A less-than-perfect red from Topper’s Mountain that is exactly what’s needed

May 31, 2019

A less-than-perfect red from Topper’s Mountain that is exactly what’s needed

Sometimes, it’s the wonky wines that you really want to see.

In a world sodden with characterless, ‘safe’ premium drinks, it’s things like this Topper’s Mountain Touriga & Tintas 2018 that I want to talk about.

Wonky or just faulty?

Let’s set the scene.

As the name suggests, this is Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão & Tinta Roriz from Topper’s Mountain at Guyra in the New England region.

AKA a little taste of the Douro in NSW’s youngest wine GI.

It gets better. The blend also spent 150 days on skins in qvevri. So extended skin contact, in clay pots, with an unusual (for Australia) varietal mix and from an unknown region more famous for fine Merino wool, not wine.

Sounds promising, non? Nouveau Australian revivalist red wine of character and interest, that just works?

Except it doesn’t.

There’s nothing easy drinking here at all. The tannins are resinous, the cherry liqueur fruit a confected, the nose varnishy. It’s a bit wild and volatile, plus the tannins swallow the fruit as you watch.

Wearing my wine judge hat, this’d be rejected on first pass.

Still, this is intriguing wine. It’s very long, and that cherry fruit is genuinely attractive, with that brightness you often see in wine raised in qvevri/amphora/kvevri et al. All the more impressive to think this is a winery willing to chuck out all the emerging region rules.

That doesn’t mean I want a sample bench full of bretty reds. And I couldn’t drink more than a glass of this admirable curio.

Still, I’m applauding. Please, quality Australian wineries follow the lead by bottling and releasing your wobbly wine experiments. It will only make the wine world more colourful.

2018, New England, Touriga + blends

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

Donate to help keep this website free

3 responses to “A less-than-perfect red from Topper’s Mountain that is exactly what’s needed”

Andrew W

May 31, 2019 at 4:16 pm

“All the more impressive to think this is a winery willing to chuck out all the emerging region rules.”

What rules? Isn’t that part of the charm of these new GI’s? That they have no legacy binding them to any one tradition. Plant whatever suits the conditions and ferment to demonstrate a house style rather than a preconceived ideal of what a region should echo in its wines. The old world is lousy with it.

Even the new world in it’s infancy clung to old world nomenclature. Hunter River Burgundy or a Seppelt’s Moyston Claret to name but two. A reverent nod to appellation and style over terroir.

I too am encouraged to see new producers bottling amphora aged Touriga Nacional from what is ultimately a cool climate region. It’s a non-sequitur to me.

An innovation nation, wasn’t that once the catch-cry?! Whilst the regions like the Barossa, Hunter and Rutherglen have found their own voice on the world’s stage, many regions in Australia are still singing from a very stayed song book and revolutionary thinking is far from anyone’s mind.

To me at least the focus on science and tradition can get in the way of intuition and experimentation and it is a major reason in my opinion that the show system in Australia rewards wines that whilst technically proficient, often lack an x-factor.

Doesn’t sound like this particular example had the x-factor either, but I love that they are trying.

Reply
Andrew Graham

May 31, 2019 at 5:45 pm

Great to see a little diversity, isn’t it!

You would think a ‘plant and see what works’ methodology would be the go to for emerging regions, but so often the fall back is convention. Witness Queensland’s continued reliance on Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet et al (though that is slowly changing).

Commercial reality all too often means the long game – of varietal experimentation – loses out to ‘what sells’ in regions that don’t have a defined varietal hero.

Reply
Andrew W

May 31, 2019 at 6:05 pm

Indeed diversity is the key. I love watching the evolution of the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale who’re mixing it up and setting cat amongst pigeons.

If I were in New England I’d be planting things like Xynomavro, Aglianico and Montepulciano, Petit Verdot and some Picpoul. Later ripening varietals that excel in the long sunshine months and hold their own acids. Plus early ripeners planted for insurance, Tempranillo, Gamay and Gewurztraminer.

Is there an Australian winery that doesn’t produce at least one Chardonnay and/or Shiraz? It is no wonder we’re pigeon holed by the wider wine world.

Reply