The Wines
USA Court of Master Sommeliers Symposium
Landmark Australia Shiraz Masterclass - Drawing a Line in the Sand!
If you were looking to make an impression and to build some serious currency into an important new relationship, then perhaps the world’s most exclusive golf resort is not a bad place to be. Pebble Beach, California welcomed Wine Australia to its hallowed greens for the inaugural Court of Master Sommeliers National Conference on January 20th 2010, and while the weather was biblical in its profile, the Wine Australia team was in equally storming form. A Landmark Australia masterclass of 18 Shiraz, led by guest presenter and winemaker Stephen Pannell, and moderated by Wine Australia’s own Mark Davidson, was presented to 72 master sommeliers with a view to challenging assumptions about the range, style and evolution of Australia’s signature variety. At stake was the reputation and credibility of the category’s most recognized wine style in the eyes of the world’s most assiduously informed gatekeepers – the official, professional coterie of sommeliers.
The masterclass comprised three chapters: an opening round of celebrated releases drawn from the decade of the 90s; a following flight of exemplary regional estates; and a closing round that questioned whether region or variety should be the dominant signature in Australian Shiraz’s best expressions. It would be fair to say that the expectation was to see an impressive but perhaps stylistically limited range of wines that were familiar rather than remarkable in their reach and ambition. What the Court discovered, however, under Pannell’s compelling narrative and challenging insight, was a range of stylistic excellence and diversity that was as unexpected as it was hitherto unexplored. Heathcote, Grampians and McLaren Vale all shone; the older wines dazzled with their apparent youth and delicacy, and a trinity of idiosyncratic stars from Clare, Canberra and Eden Valley threatened to steal the show. After two hours of examination and robust questioning of both the panel and the audience, the response was as emphatic: a unanimous and spontaneous standing ovation from the floor!
Fred Dame, Chairman Emeritus, Court of Master Sommeliers and Director of Icon Estates, Constellation Wines US summed up the event as follows: ”You have achieved more in one day than any trade campaign has achieved in a decade. We are in the business of shaping the future of the wine and that is what you have successfully invested in today. No-one has reached deeper, harder or more thoughtfully than Wine Australia in making this happen. Congratulations!”
Paul Henry of Wine Australia commented: “This was a tough and searching audience, and one that is not going to do you any favours just because you have gone to the effort of presenting. What was fascinating was to see the dawning realisation that Australian Shiraz can actually be a signature and not a caricature, as it has been portrayed in some markets. I sincerely believe that we have turned a corner with regards to a better understanding and appreciation of our potential with Shiraz and Shiraz blends.”
The 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial wines
There was a staggering total of 248 fine Australian wines tasted during the 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial - a selection of those and some of the accompanying mastersclass presentations are featured below. For a comprehensive overview of all the wines featured during the tutorial, please download the 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial booklet.
Cabernet Sauvignon Masterclass
Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends with Robert Mann
“Cabernet Sauvignon is the only grape tolerated in heaven.” - Jack Mann
Rob Mann, grandson of Jack, put together an amazing line-up of Cabernets from Australia and a rogue First Growth Bordeaux - just to keep us honest! Rob described the evolution of Cabernet in Australia as historically being more about good soils in areas proximate to good markets (capital cities), rather than specific site selection. He maintained the next chapter of Cabernets development was about a true understanding of site and climate. The 2005 Woodlands from Margaret River proved to be a stand-out and the curious attraction of Wendouree again proved unmissable and intriguing. Our French friend was described by one of the group as “looking the most Australian” - showing more oak than fruit and looking a little heavy footed! Interesting how perceptions can be changed.
The wines:
- 2005 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernets, Yarra Valley
- 2005 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cabernet Franc, Great Southern/Margaret River
- 2005 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
- 2005 Woodlands ‘Colin’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
- 2005 Sandalford Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
- 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot, Pauillac
- 2005 Parker Coonawarra Estate Terra Rossa First Growth, Cabernet/Merlot, Coonawarra
- 2005 Majella The Malleea Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Coonawarra
- 2005 Henschke Cyril Henschke Cabernet/Merlot, Eden Valley
- 2005 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec, Clare Valley
- 2005 Hardys Chateau Reynella Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
- 2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
Robert Mann from Cape Mentelle hosting the Cabernet Sauvignon Masterclass
Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Blends
Semillon with Iain Riggs
Iain Riggs from Brokenwood
The Hunter Valley has been talked about alot this week so it was great to have Iain Riggs in town to answer questions and explain the history and winemaking styles from the Hunter. Iain selected 6 Semillons for the first bracket, followed by some Sauvignon Blancs and blends of the two. The Tyrrell’s Vat 1 was a great example of complexity in white wine and the Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon from the Barossa showed its regional expression.
A Shaw + Smith tank sample of the 2009 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc showed exuberant elderflower fruit, whilst the Cape Mentelle Walcliffe SB/S from Margaret River had fantastic weight and texture.
The Wines:
- 1998 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter
- 1999 Brokenwood ILR Semillon, Hunter
- 2002 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon, Barossa Valley
- 2003 Tempus Two Copper Zenith Semillon, Hunter
- 2005 Vasse Felix Semillon, Margaret River
- 2006 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter
- 2008 Thomas Wines Braemore Individual Vineyard Semillon, Hunter
- 2009 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills
- 2008 Angullong Sauvignon Blanc, Orange
- 2008 Logan Sauvignon Blanc, Orange
- 2008 Goundrey ‘G’ Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Mount Barker, Great Southern
- 2006 Cape Mentelle Walcliffe Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Margaret River
- 2008 Brookland Valley Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River
- 2007 Rosemount Show Reserve Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Western Australia
- 2007 Lenton Brae Wines Wilyabrup Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River
An Historic Perspective
Fine Wine History with James Halliday and Andrew Caillard MW
James Halliday sharing his knowledge of Australia's fine wine history (Photograph: Peter Hoare)
Sitting in a room where James Halliday was sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of fine wine in Australia was an absolute privilege. The significance of yesterday’s tasting was not just the quality – and in many cases, longevity of the wines shown - but that each wine represented a significant milestone in Australia’s fine wine evolution. Andrew Caillard MW who co-presented the masterclass with James Halliday commented, “These remarkable wines illustrated an extraordinary commonwealth of fine wine making. The sheer quality and diversity of winemaking philosophy and regional definition illustrate that Australia has made great wine for decades. This is the unfolding story being told this week.”
The masterclass wines were shown to illustrate the history of Australia’s fine wine with the 50s charting the story of now legendary labels; through the 60s and 70s when region and preferred variety began to find a voice; the 80s saw individual estates emerge as front line producers; the 90s began to set a context for Australian wines place on a global stage; and recent years have seen the frontiers being pushed again with new regions, new labels and new generations.
The full wine list can be found below:
- 1954 Seppelt Great Western Hermitage K72 Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
- 1955 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia
- 1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra
- 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Coonawarra / (Kalimna) Barossa Valley
- 1971 Penfolds Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia
- 1982 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
- 1985 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley
- 1986 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley
- 1986 Brokenwood Hermitage Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter
- 1990 Mount Mary Vineyard Lilydale Cabernets Quintet, Yarra Valley
- 1995 Cullen Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Margaret River
- 1996 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale
- 1996 Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
- 1996 Best’s Wines Thomson Family Great Western Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
- 1998 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
- 1999 Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz Viognier, Barossa Valley
- 2001 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir, South Gippsland
- 2001 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra District
- 2002 Seppelt St Peters Great Western Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
- 2004 Balnaves of Coonawarra The Tally Cabernet Sauvignon
When asking Chester Osborn (Chief Winemaker at d’Arenberg) what he thought of the legendary 1962 Bin 60A after the tasing he stated: “Just the colour on this wine is extraordinary – it has all the balance, ripeness and freshness you would hope to find in a 10 year old. Amazing!”
A very big thank you to all the wineries and individuals who donated wines for this masterclass.
Yukari Iwashiro at todays Historic Perspective masterclass
The first vintage of Grange (1955)
Shiraz with Stephen Pannell
Stephen had a surprise in store today. In what he described as a “daunting task” Stephen was asked to talk about Shiraz – Australia’s most widely planted and internationally important grape variety. Did you know that we produce more than 400,000,000 bottles every year! That’s a lot of people out there enjoying our favourite red varietal.
The wines were tasted in 3 brackets: 4 Museum Wines, then 7 Regional Wines and then a Blind tasting of 5 Blended Wines:
- 1990 Craiglee Shiraz Sunbury
- 1991 Plantagenet Shiraz, Mount Barker, Great Southern
- 1991 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Eden Valley
- 1991 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley
- 2006 Shaw + Smith Shiraz, Adelaide Hills
- 2006 De Bortoli Reserve Release Shiraz, Yarra Valley
- 2006 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz, Beechworth
- 2006 Mt Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz, Grampians
- 2006 Seppelt Mt Ida Vineyard Shiraz, Heathcote
- 2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale
- 2006 Charles Melton Grains of Paradise Shiraz, Barossa Valley
- 2006 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra District
- 2006 S.C. Pannell Shiraz Grenache, McLaren Vale
- 2006 Spinifex Indigene Shiraz Mataro, Barossa Valley
- 2006 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec, Clare Valley
- 2004 Penfolds Grange, Multi-region South Australia
Stephen Pannell at the Shiraz masterclass
Riesling with Jeffrey Grosset
This morning was the first varietal masterclass hosted by Jeffrey Grosset. WOW! Wine list below:
- 2007 Kilikanoon Mort’s Reserve Riesling, Clare Valley
- 2005 Mount Horrocks Riesling, Clare Valley
- 1992 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
- 1984 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
- 1973 Leo Buring DWC15 Riesling, Clare Valley
- 2002 Peter Lehmann Reserve Riesling, Eden Valley
- 1999 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley
- 1980 Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling, Eden Valley
- 2007 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling, Henty
- 1996 Crawford River Riesling, Henty
- 2007 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard Riesling, Frankland River, Great Southern
- 2003 Craigow Riesling, Tasmania
Jeffrey Grosset discussing great Australian RieslingsJeffrey Grosset with his 1984 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
Jeffrey Grosset with his 1984 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
Australia’s Regional Classics
Michael Hill Smith AM MW was the man in the hot seat (actually a chilly 12 degrees in the Barossa) this afternoon. Charged with introducing everyone to some of Australia’s ‘classic’ regional styles and set the scene for the varietal masterclasses taking place over the next four days, Michael started by telling the group “Australia has wonderful Regional Classics – wines where region and grape combine to produce a style that has uniqueness and international relevance.”
Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and a ‘sticky’ were all tasted and talked about, the discussion centring around the identifiable characteristics from each of these regional styles.
Australia has many more regional classics, so remember this was just an introduction, and we only let Michael nominate 14 wines! Those who are eager to know what some of the other classis are can look out for Grenache from McLaren Vale wineries as well as Grenache blends such as GSMs. Click here to find out more about Australia’s wine regions, classic styles and enjoy a virtual tasting.
WINES - Australia’s Regional Classics Masterclass
- 2008 Grosset Wines Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
- 2002 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley
- 1998 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter
- 2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River
- 2006 Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
- 2006 By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir, Geelong
- 2001 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Margaret River
- 2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch, Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1998 Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter
- 2004 Mt Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz, Grampians
- 2006 Henshcke Mt Eldestone Shiraz, Eden Valley
- 2004 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley
- 2006 Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
- 2006 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon, Riverina
Quote of the day: “The thing about Australian Riesling is that tenacity and belief in our style will ultimately overcome fashion. Riesling will have its day!” - Michael Hill Smith
The Wines
More than 200 of Australia’s finest wines will be poured during the first week of June, in a celebration of the history and heritage of great wines from Australia.
Latest News
- Thanks for RT @TM_Wine @vineyardpaul @mikerism101 @winsordobbin @harshalsha
- 10/03/10 12:17pm - @MattReiser congratulations! Hope to meet with you later this year. How'd you find the tastings & what regions do you want to visit most?
- 10/03/10 7:47am - Can Tasmania be the world leader in cool climate viticulture? http://bit.ly/9xKgfV
- 10/03/10 3:00am - Just landed in Melbourne. It was a much nicer day above the clouds!
- 09/03/10 10:28pm - Here's a useful cheat sheet for anyone into social media marketing http://bit.ly/aHGzN5 (via @SavorEachGlass)
- 09/03/10 8:26pm - @intwines add Jasper hill to that. Not sure if their viognier is commercially available yet, but a good one to include in your tasting!
- 09/03/10 10:43am - @DaringPairings I prefer my pancakes with maple syrup or lemon & sugar. As for a daring paring...rutherglen muscat or a cheeky moscato?!
- 09/03/10 9:22am - @mycellar thanks for keeping us all informed
- 09/03/10 7:33am - RT @winecompanion: All the trophy winners from the 2010 Tasmanian Wine Show here - http://tiny.cc/1lME6
- 09/03/10 6:44am - @mikerism101 First time you've ever tasted it! Tell us your #1stimewine - what did you think?
- 08/03/10 10:24am
Taken from @winehero- Thanks for RT @TM_Wine @vineyardpaul @mikerism101 @winsordobbin @harshalsha
