I have just returned from judging at the Cool Climate Wine Show on the Mornington Peninsula. It's a great show with a fascinating range of entries from all over the world. All entries must conform to the entry requirements based on vineyard temperature and/or altitude--so entries come from Tasmania, New Zealand, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Yarra Valley, Gippsland and a few other cool to cold places that may not even be regarded as recognised wine regions. For the first time, there were even a few Burgundies mixed amongst the Australian and New Zealand Pinot Noirs.
Here's the line-up of wines for the trophy awards. To get to this point, twelve judges had sipped and spat their way through about seven hundred wines. What you see in this picture is the best of the best--three rieslings, four chardonnays, three pinot gris, two gewurztraminers, a sauvignon blanc, two sparkling, four pinot noir, three shiraz and a cabernet. What a privilege to taste these wines.
The group of pinot noirs was extraordinary and reminded me of how much progress we have made with this variety. When I first started judging in wine shows twenty years ago, the pinot noir classes were uniformly ordinary. Some of the wines were downright bizarre. That situation has completely changed--the four wines here would challenge any wines from anywhere in the world, Burgundy included. You may not believe me when I say that judging wine is hard work. Sometimes, it's exhausting, mentally draining and physically difficult. Think about tasting forty young chardonnays at 8.30 am!
Truth is, it's often cold at Coldstream. Even in summer and certainly in autumn, winter and spring.
That's the way we like it.
But don't get the wrong impression--we have one of the warmest vineyard sites in the Yarra, due to the north-easterly aspect and relative shelter from winds. This is one of the reasons our grapes have ripe flavours at reasonably low sugar levels. It's also the reason why our Sauvignon Blanc avoids the lawn clipping, cat pee characters so prevalent in other wines.
Pruning has just commenced in Chardonnay. It's a long, cold few months ahead for our vineyard team.
Last night, Mike Fitzpatrick hosted our new release tasting at his Collins St office. It was a warm autumn evening, the guests enjoyed the wines and I hope that Squitchy Lane gained a few new friends
We tasted the 2011 Fume Blanc, the 2010 Chardonnay and the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. We've yet to meet someone who doesn't like the Fume and I think it was the most popular wine on the night.
The Chardonnay, while still quite youthful, showed its promise. I feel it will continue to improve in the bottle and will start to really shine in six to twelve months time. It's one for the cellar.
I have written about the Cabernet before (check the older blogs). Last night, it surprised a few people who perhaps had a rather narrow view of what Yarra Valley Cabernet can be and also surprised a few people who know a lot about wine but weren't familiar with Squitchy Lane and its wonderful vineyard resource. That's why we enjoy putting on these tastings. But take my advice and stock up on this Cabernet because we didn't make a lot and the word is spreading. I think it will be a while before we see a wine of this quality again.
If you would like to join us in our next tasting, keep an eye on the website, www.squitchylane.com.au, and this blog. You could also join our wine club and/or our mailing list--see the website for details.
Well, our first gourmet sausage and wine afternoon has been and gone. It was a great day...
and everyone enjoyed the food and wine. The duck and hoisin sauce sausages accompanied by our Squitchy Lane 2010 Pinot Noir was the most popular choice but all the different suasages had their supporters.
The souvlaki lamb was a genuinely meaty sausage with great flavour and depth. Pure meat with some spicy flavourings, almost no fat and just a real mouthful of enjoyment. The 2009 Red Square blend with its spicy aromatics was a good complement.
The pork, apple and sage was a real surprise to me. Michelle had been saying how good they were but I wasn't prepared for the wonderful texture and, once again, the real meatiness of the thing.
The beef and cabernet sausage was the real deal. Meat and red wine, no unnecessary additives, simple and elegant. The low fat content meant that careful cooking was needed but the butcher tipped us off and we had no trouble.
These sausages were so far ahead of your standard sausage sizzle offering that it seems a shame to call them sausages. They were a tribute to the art of good charcuterie.
I think we will make this event a regular feature on the cellar door calendar. The butchers loved making these sausages for us and we had a great time talking with our customers and friends on the day.
Autumn in the vineyard is a wonderful time and the weather, while not truly sunny, wasn't wet or cold. Our friend below enjoyed the day too.
