Redhouse Wines

Altier Pinot Grigio 2009 $22

Made from Adelaide Hills fruit. Clean, fresh nose with typical Grigio pear and musk-like aroma's. Fresh and dried pear flavours, faint hint of spice; textured mouthfeel. Winery Sample, 87 points, Drink 2009+

Mediterrane' Shiraz/Sangiovese/Tempranillo 2008 $22

This blend of varieties really works a treat. Lots of ripe fruit, but quite layered with some herby tartness lifting the finish. Nice grip and keeps you interested. Savoury, food friendly and ready to drink. Winery Sample, 90 points, drink 2010+

Wachau, Austr(al)ia

Salomon is one of the great names of Austrian wine, producing some of that countries best Rieslings and Gruner Veltliner's. They've also set up shop in Finniss River (35 kms south of Adelaide) ,South Australia, producing a range of interesting reds that contrast with their white dominated Austrian portfolio.

Salomon Estate Fleurieu Peninsula Shiraz Viognier 2007 $30

The viognier component is handled really well- just a dusty, floral lift in evidence rather than anything sticky or stonefruit orientated. A little volatility, some dark toasty oak and dense black fruits as well on the nose. Dark plum and pepper flavours, good impact, tight acidity and drying tannin finish. Winery Sample, 88 points, 2011+

Thought of the Week

PJ O'Rourke is one of the great writers and wits of our time. It was hard not to throw this quote at you, so I decided not to resist!

"I found out that all the important lessons of life are contained in the three rules for achieving a perfect golf swing. 1. Keep your head down. 2. Follow through. 3. Be born with money. PJ O'Rourke

Time for a X-mas break

Last night was the final episode from "The Pro Shop" for the year. Andy and I, along with the hard working production team from 5 Oceans Media ( Matt, Kate, and the various sound and camera guys who work with us) have a few weeks off for x-mas to recharge the batteries and get ready for the run down to April when the final show for the first season will be recorded.

It has been a seriously busy couple of months. Highlights for me were meeting Kel Nagle, an entertaining interview with Jack Newton who was great value, and a lot of fun had with Andy Maher who is a fantastic broadcaster.

Here's wishing everyone a great x-mas and New Year. I hope Santa is kind to you and that 2010 fills your cellar with fine wine and knocks a couple of strokes off the handicap.

Becasse

After a big month and a half, I took the opportunity to take the better half out for a relaxing night at one of Sydney's best restaurants, Becasse.

It was a first time visit for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Excellent service, a creative and diverse degustation menu ( the banana creme brulee' was my personal highlight) and some lovely wines which included the Thomas Braemore Semillon 2008 and a bottle of Mac Forbes Coldstream Pinot Noir 2007.

And, I was delighted, and more than a little proud to find that the Dombeya Chardonnay 2007 was also on the list.

Many thanks to the team at Becasse for a lovely evening.

In the Groove

On January 1, 2010, the laws of golf change for professionals whereby the 'U' or box groove is being outlawed and replaced by regulations that only permit 'V' grooves. Much ado about nothing? Or pivotal moment in the history of golf? Here are my thoughts on the matter.

Round One- PGA Championship

I can't recall ever seeing the inside of a golf commentary booth on the 'net, so here's a quick look at the space.

The main monitors are at the back, they are what we use for visuals. On the right is the telestrator, which I sit in front of, and next to that is the computer that feeds hole by hole scores and other info through to us.

In the middle you can see the sound console, through which we can communicate with the director and adjust sound levels in our headphones. And that's Frank Nobilo in the middle just having a quiet moment contemplating life.

Australian PGA Championship 2009-Coolum

Just a quick one before today's production meeting, and as I havn't had any flora or fauna on the blog as yet, why not start with a soft and fluffy filler.

The new holes at Hyatt Coolum look great. I had a ride around with the legendary designer Robert Trent Jones Jr yesterday to take a peek at a few, which was a great honour.

Anyway, I have to trek over to behind the 10th green to the production compound. More later in the week.

Australian Open 2009- Getting Ready

Wednesday is always rehearsal day, a day where we iron the kinks out of the system and make sure everything works the way it is supposed to. This usually starts with a production meeting in the TV compound, which this week is based on the rifle range at the back of the fifth hole at NSWGC.

After this we head out to our positions to check coms, and to run through the hole flyovers in the commentary box. This year we've got Frank Nobilo out from the U.S. to join the team. Frank is a New Zealander ( we don't hold that against him) who was an outstanding player. His career was cut short by injury, and he now works full time on the Golf Channel doing Seniors Tour and PGA Tour events.

The broadcast begins tomorrow at 12pm, and we're on air until 5pm. After that there is a one hour review show on ONE HD, so it is going to be a very big day.

In the picture are Steve Herson (producer) talking to Leigh Diffey in the foreground, with Frank Nobilo, Steve Wood (producer) and Jay Townsend at the rear of the building.

Player of the Year 2009

In Sydney now for the 2009 Australian Open. Today was taken up with shooting 'The Pro Shop' for tomorrow night and grabbing as many interviews as possible with the array of stars on show. We managed to grab Steve Bowditch, Michael Campbell, Stephen Leaney, Greg Chalmers and a bunch of others which will be shown in weeks to come.

Tonight, a quick trip into the city to Ottoman Cuisine for the Golf Digest Player of the Year dinner. Geoff Ogilvy was a deserved winner, and being the classy guy that he is, turned up on the night to receive his award. He gave a great interview as well, a credit to himself and the game of golf.

The food at Ottoman was very nice. Mod Oz with a Turkish twist. Aside from this positive impression, the other thought I left with was that the phenomenon of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is showing some cracks around the edges. Another faceless, characterless, under-ripe and overly acidic Marlborough savvy as the wine of the night, and the default position of simply accepting these features as a part of quality wine will not go on forever. A good night however, with the company and professionalism of the production top notch, along with an excellent MC role performed by Luke Elvy of FOX.

Australian Open Preview

Well, it's a golf preview with a wine out the front. They are kind of related. I flew to the Hunter Valley to do a couple of interviews for The Pro Shop and stopped in at Shakey Tables for dinner, saw this on the list for a remarkably low price given the vintage and status of the wine and just had to try it.

It was a super wine. Still young and quite rich, but undeniably world class and drinking half a bottle really made the evening. Sadly, I wasted the other half on some old pro golf colleagues of mine the next night and was horrified by their indifference to its charms!

Anyway, there are couple of big weeks in the pipeline, starting with the Australian Open next week at NSWGC in Sydney. Then we fly up to Coolum for the PGA Championship to finish out the year. Shooting The Pro Shop in and around both events as well so we should be able to put together some good content over the next fortnight.

I'll update when I can during the events and will take a few pics around the place as well.

The Next Level

Well, the Masters is gone, and it must be said that regardless of what you thought about Tiger's 3 million buck appearance fee it would be hard to argue that he didn't bring value for money.

Record crowds, great TV ratings, a boon for Victorian tourism and a lot of people talking about golf once again. What the lasting effect of it is we will have to wait and see, but he has given things a shot in the arm and one badly needed.

This months article is a story about the fine line that separates success from failure in professional golf, and the tightrope that many people walk in trying to cement a future in an extremely competitive field of endeavour.

It is mainly about a talented guy named Stuart Bouvier, but in reality I could have substituted any number of outstanding players who are out there grinding away trying to take their game to the next level in the face of insurmountable odds.

On the Bench #7

Domaine Chandon Shiraz (Barrel Selection) 2006 $49

Bringing the funk back. Found this in the bottom of a pile and glad to have done so. Stemmy, cool climate nose-aniseed, ash, green peppercorns, cherries and plums. Spicy, pepper/cherry flavours, mid weight (for Shiraz) still juvenile and punchy fresh. Wild, interesting and attention grabbing. Winery Sample, 93 points, 2011+

On the Bench #6

Moss Wood Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2007 $55

It seems that the intoxicating allure of Pinot Noir knows no boundaries. Here we have Margaret River powerhouse, Moss Wood, journeying roughly 4000 kms to the other side of the country (Mornington Peninsula) to source fruit in order to sate their craving.

It is a big play, in a number of ways. First, Moss Wood have made a Pinot from estate plantings for many years. It's always a nice wine, but limited in ambition by the unsuitability of the variety to their region. Whether they are saying in making this move that they have stopped fighting the good fight for Margaret River Pinot isn't clear, but people will draw their own conclusions nonetheless.

Second, and perhaps more notable is the statement this makes about where Moss Wood are heading with their brand strategy. For an iconic brand that is so closely defined with a specific region, this is a big play. Does this dilute, or confuse the message that they present in the marketplace? Time will tell.

But this is a particularly nice wine. Very pure, very pinot. Elegant red cherries and strawberries, but not in such a simplistic form- there's some crunchy tannin and an edge of spice underneath it all, lending good persistence and authority. Under screw cap too this appears very youthful, and will certainly benefit from a year or two in bottle. It's the real deal. Winery Sample, 92 points, 2010+

Nothing to see here

I have received the Crikey newsletter on and off for a few years. For those unfamiliar with the on-line publication, it is an independent news service that takes a slightly tangential look at current events. Most would label the perspective expressed as veering to the left, but I'd prefer to depict it as taking umbrage with everyone and everything.

It is a good read nonetheless. The debate on climate change gets an airing like nowhere else in the media- even the denialists and conspiracy theorists get their moment in the sun.

I'm particularly taken though with the material dealing with what isn't being said about the GFC and its aftermath. I'm quite deeply suspicious of the 'nothing more to see here' approach that world governments have now adopted, and of being told that it is all over and we are now on the path to prosperity and untold riches once more.

With reference to this I found an essay in Crikey today from Richard Nasht excellent reading. Nasht is the producer of Addicted to Money, a new TV series that starts on the ABC tonight at 8-30pm, dealing with the fallout from the GFC. A couple of things that he wrote in the Crikey piece resonated with me,

"We’re kidding ourselves if we believe that somehow the scars of this collapse won’t be with us for decades. For now the panicked response has been to buy our way out of trouble, dealing with a debt crisis by piling on more debt. "

This has always been the great contradiction for me- a crisis caused by debt has been miraculously solved by going into more debt? I don't think so. He continues,

"There has been precious little done to address the systemic problems revealed by the crisis, and as Professor Elizabeth Warren, chair of the oversight committee investigating what happened to America’s bail-out money, told us, "we’re now in a permanent hostage situation". The surviving global financial institutions are in control and out of control at the same time, too big to fail and too powerful to be restrained."

Or expressed in another way, the lunatics are now running the asylum. This too makes a pertinent point,

"We’ve hit our ecological limits and the old growth-economy mantra will no longer work. Yet I think we are also missing another, even more important message from the GFC -- it reveals a shortage of ideas. Government's around the world spend a tiny proportion of their time or money planning, yet this is where the majority of us will be living most of our lives."

It sounds like a show worth watching. Addicted to Money, Thursday, 8-30pm

Ye Olde Claret Jug

As I said in the previous blog, this is about as close as I am going to come to The Open Championship Trophy in the flesh. But I love what it represents about the game, and about whatever grand ambitions I had as a player when I was still competing. The experience of playing in The Open is something that I will treasure forever, even though I pretty much just made up the numbers at each attempt.

On the other hand, Kel Nagle won it. And knowing how tough major courses are set up, and the pressure that accompanies the occasion, it says a lot about what a talent Kel was.

The Claret Jug is still the most iconic trophy in the world of golf, and will never be surpassed in this respect. That's producer Lou Dimovitch in the mirror, quite by accident, even though if I could I'd choose to claim it as some sort of artistic expression on my part.

A Legendary Gentleman

I had the great pleasure yesterday of meeting and interviewing one of the all-time greats of Australian golf, Kel Nagle.

Kel won the 1960 Open Championship at the age of 39, beating Arnold Palmer by a shot. He also won 61 tour events in Australia, and had the remarkable distinction of winning an event every year between 1949 and 1975.

He turns 89 in December, and is as sharp as a tack. I could have sat there all day and listened. In many ways it is a pity that the whole interview will have to be distilled down into something that fits into a formula to suit television, but I guess that's the way it goes.

We will be featuring the interview on The Pro Shop in a couple of weeks.

I think this is about as close as I will ever get to the Claret Jug!

On the Bench #5

The tragic death of Trevor Drayton in the Drayton winery explosion of 2008 is one of the worst stories in Australian wine of recent times. From all reports Trevor was a terrific bloke and a passionate winemaker. He left a lot of friends behind.

The other story that came out of this disaster was that of assistant winemaker William Rikard-Bell, horribly burned and in a critical condition, running into a nearby dam and being found there by rescuers before being rushed to hospital.

Rikard-Bell is now the winemaker for Draytons, having recovered from his injuries. It's a great story and he's obviously a talented winemaker, because this is a seriously good wine.

Draytons 'Vineyard Selection' Chardonnay 2009 $20

Some pear, a touch of pineapple, some citrus-like flavours as well. Textured palate but decidedly fresh, with a touch of spice adding interest. Excellent carry and length. Best of all, it makes for great drinking and keeps you coming back for more. Winery Sample, 93 points, drink 2009+

On the Bench #4

Stanton and Killeen Vintage Port 2004 $29

Can't believe how little fortified wine I drink these days, and every time I take the opportunity I'm reminded what I've been missing out on. This is a speccy wine, released with five years bottle age and up for grabs for less than $30. We don't know how good we've got it down under when it comes to world class fortified's.

Silky, refined and delicious. The alcohol is beautifully integrated, and the weightlessness of the wine belies the fortification, which I imagine is exactly the goal in the first place. Despite the bottle age this is still extremely youthful, with a rawness of sweet prune and black plum flavour that still needs some restful years to find its equilibrium. It's a long term, classically structured Vintage Port, and worthy of a place in anyone's cellar. Winery Sample, 94+ points, 2015+

On the Bench #3

Brokenwood 'Forest Edge Vineyard' Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $25

Much gnashing of teeth lately about the foothold that NZ Sauvignon has in the Australian market. Of the top ten Sauvignon Blanc's sold by volume, how many would you think are from NZ? Try ten.

So as a nation we're remarkably switched on to the East Island when it comes to savvy. We also allow the Kiwi's to claim back the WET tax (29%) on all sales here, so it is a win/win, or maybe win/win/win/win which goes some way to explaining their impressive marketing spend and subsequent market dominance.

Nonetheless, we do a pretty good version of the style in various cooler climate areas, like Orange in Central NSW, where Brokenwood source the fruit for this wine from. In fact this is better than pretty good, with fresh and lively passionfruit, citrus and nettle flavours and aroma's. It's not too 'green' in nature and whilst the front palate explosiveness of Sauvignon is there it doesn't wither away to nothingness in a hurry like some of its brethren. Winery Sample, 92 points, drink 2009+

When Norman ruled the World

In Golf Digest this month, a look at the Masters of old, the man who made the tournament his, and the approaching visit of Tiger Woods for the 2009 event in November at Kingston Heath.

On the Bench #2

Fox Gordon 'Princess' Fiano 2009 $20

The alternative variety movement in Australia is well and truly on the march, with all sorts of rare and obscure varietals poking their heads above the parapet. Fox Gordon are just one of the many who are staking a claim for a piece of turf on the new frontier, and they're making a good fist of it, too.

It has a great combination of fruit flavour and savouriness. Pears and almonds come straight to mind as flavour cues, but it's the slightly pithy, nutty, almost chewy/dried pear nature of the finish that grabs the attention. Made for food, with a fresh sweep of acidity cleaning up the tail. Seriously well made wine here - the rating, whilst more or less capturing the merits of the wine, doesn't quite do justice to the enjoyability factor. 91 points, 2009+

On the Bench #1

Brokenwood 'Indigo Vineyard' Viognier 2008 $28

The Indigo Vineyard is located in the cool Beechworth region of Victoria, where a number of producer's (Castagna, Savaterre and Giaconda, amongst others) are making some seriously good wines.

This is pretty darn smart too. Spicy, with freshness of flavour in the peach/pear spectrum. Ripe phenolics but no oily texture. Plenty of energy and life. Hitting the bullseye with Viognier is no mean feat but Brokenwood get a little closer every year. 91 points, drink 2009+

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2009 $30

A different beast this year. The last two releases (07 & 08) have been more up front in their attraction, at least to my memory (as I have ditched all tasting notes).

This is a gentler, more restrained version of the Hanlin Hill. That said, it is completely seamless, the even flow of the lime and citrus flavours showing no deviation, and defined by delicacy. Less immediate impact than 07 and 08, especially through the middle, but a latent mineral feel kicks in and keeps the flavour lingering. Lovely wine, but difficult to rate, more so if you're familiar with the last few vintages. A 'classical' style? A sleeper? Time will tell. 93+ points, drink 2009+

Best's Great Western Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $25

Opens with a good whiff of mintiness, true to varietal/regional tendencies. This abates quite noticeably on the second day, suggesting a good decant is the go. On the more restrained side of Central Victorian Cabernet, with youthful black/ red currant flavours, fine tannins, and nicely balanced oak and alcohol in the background. There's a slight rawness about this, but it's really well put together and three days after opening is still rocking along nicely. Give it a couple of years. Nice wine. 89+ points, 2011+

Various

A lot of wine to taste at the moment. Here's an attempt to put a dent in the pile,

Best's Great Western Riesling 2009 $22

It is always a pretty good sign of how a winery is travelling when their sample mail out includes 2008 reds and 2009 whites, and the year is 2009. Demand is obviously strong, which comes as no surprise with regard to Best's, one of the great Australian wine names.

This is delicious. Zesty and with plenty of zip. Flowers,lemons,citrus and a river pebble/stoniness on the nose and palate as it starts to open up on the second day. Acidity is assertive, but it should be at this age, and with salt and pepper squid this was really singing. Will age, but this is bloody hard to resist right now, especially with food. 92 points, 2009+

Jip Jip Rocks Unwooded Chardonnay 2009 $18

Nicely put together. Citrus, honeydew and pear skin aroma's. Mid weight Chardonnay texture in the mouth, with citrus and green melon flavours. Gentle finish. 87 points, 2009+

David Hook Hunter Valley Barbera 2007 $25

The Italian varietal Barbera looks to have a future in the Hunter Valley. There are some nice examples starting to pop up, Margan is one that comes immediately to mind, and this wine from David Hook also looks the goods.

There's some regional earthiness here on the nose and palate which is particularly attractive, and complements the naturally medium bodied nature of the grape. Some sweet/sour elements too, which taste better than they sound and are part of the overall interest of the wine. Slightly tangy red and sour cherry flavours, if you are looking for a specific chracter- another year in bottle will serve it well, then drink it over the following five. 90 points, 2010+

Vasse Felix 'Heytesbury' Chardonnay 2007- $40

I tasted this wine over a three hour period, wondering if any holes would appear in its story. It simply appeared too good to be true at first, almost too proper and perfectly behaved. The only thing that happened though was that it improved, and if anything became even more seamless. I guess if you had to describe it you would say that it smells and tastes of grapefruit, matchstick, white peaches, youthful creamy oak and toasted nuts. But it's more than that- it screams 'fine wine', the texture of it at once silken and caressing but with a kick of persistent, intense length in the tail. There's a fair amount of winemaking influence here but it is all wound into the wine beautifully. 96 points- drink 2011+

The Pro Shop

Up at 4am yesterday for a flight down to Melbourne to start shooting the first material for the new ONE HD program, The Pro Shop.

It's a new golf show that will air on Tuesday nights on ONE, hosted by Andrew Maher with a bit of help from moi.

There will be a range of different stuff going on, some tournament reviews, instruction, interviews and new segments that will be introduced as the show evolves.

We had a blast yesterday taking a good look around one of Melbourne's most venerable layouts. Can you pick which course it is?

Long Haul Lit- Breath

Funny, you never think much about breathing, until it's all you think about

I can't remember the last time I bought a paperback and sat down for a good, solid read. For the last couple of years, it just seems to be an indulgence that I simply struggled to find time for.

But with the contemplation of a full day of travel to get from the Gold Coast to Cape Town, I grabbed a copy of Tim Winton's 'Breath' and set about knocking it over during the flight.

First, I must say that it is good for the soul and mind to lose yourself in a great book every now and again. I had forgotten about the sense of freedom and possibility that evolves when you transport yourself mentally into the virtual world of a skilled writer.

After finishing the book, my mind slipped back to a conversation I once had with a late writer of note. He bought up A.B. Facey's classic novel, 'A Fortunate Life', as an example of how greatness can be found in brevity of expression.

Facey was self educated. His auto-biographical novel is a timeless example of how honesty, and simplicity of language, can translate into something greater than the sum of their parts. It is a wonderful piece of writing in all respects, and there is something in this work that makes me think of Winton.

Winton's great weapon is honesty. His writing speaks of ordinary people living ordinary lives. He doesn't regress into fairy tale endings or feel compelled to find resolution in every conflict. Winton's words express the mundanity of the everyday but contrast it with the universality of spirit and hope, usually repressed by circumstance.

There seems a simplicity to Winton's prose too, but such an impression is ultimately superficial. He ignores the self indulgence prone of writers looking to legitimise themselves to the cognoscenti, and appears to be at a stage of his career where he writes for himself rather than the plaudits of critics and fans.

In this way, the reflections of Pikelet, the 14 year old protagonist of 'Breath' stay true to character and possibility. Somehow though, Pikelets narrative is anything but childish, and despite his age he's not spared from the responsibility of recognising the relationship between action and consequence, a key theme throughout the text.

'Breath' is a wonderful piece of writing, a great read on a number of levels and a seminal piece of Australian fiction that will be talked about for decades to come.

The Exchange

Each month, Golf Digest poses a challenge for two of its writers to debate, dubbed "The Exchange". This month, I had the task of going up against senior writer Rohan Clarke (senior in experience, not years) defending the Ryder Cup as a spectacle against the Presidents Cup. We got stuck in.

Long Haul Cinema- Take Two

With 14 hours to kill on the flight from Sydney to J'burg, there is more than enough time to check out a few new movies,

Adventureland

This was a cracking film with surprising level of emotional depth and feeling, very much at odds with its suggested 'teen movie' leanings. In fact, I'd say that it was the best of its type that I have seen since 'Almost Famous', which was for me a real benchmark for the coming-of-age genre.

Without giving too much away, the gross-out components of it are handled well enough to not leave you cringing, and the acting of the characters portraying marginalised and identity seeking teenagers is spot on. Really good stuff.

Disgrace

I thought, you know, maybe I was too expectant/tired/distracted to do this movie justice the last time I flew. So, I watched it again from the point where I turned it off in August. Unfortunately, the second half is even more laboured. You almost feel obligated to say nice things about a movie that has John Malkovich in it, but ultimately this is a real dog that bobs up and down on the spot and leaves you wondering how the screenwriters managed to so successfully butcher JM Coetzee's epic book.

Enron- The Smartest Guys in the Room

Brilliant doco. Compulsory viewing for every rampaging capitalist spruiking the beauty of the free market economy and de-regulation. A tale of total greed and disgusting manipulation of the stock and electricity markets in the U.S. by Enron, of lies and deceit and fraud on a scale almost too huge to imagine. And, when you look at the ease with which this all came together and the complicity of banks, business and regulatory authorities who allowed it to continue, you are all too aware that it can and probably will happen again.

Haskell Vineyards scoops the pool at Tri-Nations

Well, this was bloody exciting. Made it to the Tri-Nations Wine Challenge presentations last night in Sydney at the Four Seasons Hotel. We had a horse in the race, the as yet unreleased Haskell Pillars Syrah 2007, which had struck a couple of judges in South Africa as a pretty good wine and had been chosen for the South African team.

To cut a long story short, the Pillars 07 won Best Shiraz, Best Red Wine, and Wine of Show. It was the first time that South Africa had won best red wine in the history of the competition, and also the Champion Wine.

Rianie Strydom (winemaker) was pumped, I'll admit to letting out a few hollers and hoots and celebrating in a renowned fashion into the early hours. A great achievement for us, we couldn't be more pumped.

A Postcard from Stellenbosch

And just to catch up the last couple of months, here's a little reminiscence from a round at the Heineken in Perth back in the late 1990's and a third round, two ball match up with Ernie Els.

Living with the (Sporting) Enemy

Just catching up on posting a few articles here now that the old site is done and dusted (as of today). This is my September article from Australian Golf Digest, and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Tiger but I dig this picture with the Turnbery lighthouse in the background. Thats the best excuse I can think of!

Coche Dury, Chevalier Montrachet and more

More firsts from a couple of weeks back. My first taste of Coche Dury, one of the most vaunted and revered white burgundy producers. Coche Dury wines sell for astonishing sums of money and getting your hands on them is quite a challenge. The wine tasted here was the Meursault Perrieres 1er 2002, and it was brilliant. Sleek, shiny and crammed full of power. The Bouchard Chevalier Montrachet 2005 was also impressive, but needs many years of cellaring to show its full potential, especially in a large format bottle. Can't recall if I tasted the Clos de Mouches...it was all getting a bit silly at this point.

Three Years Hence

It has been a couple of weeks since the third anniversary of the death of Len Evans. How quickly that time has passed. I was reflecting on that today as I cleaned up my computer desktop and found this article.

It reminded me of a few things, but mostly of how much I miss the excitement and sense of anticipation that he bought to my life. Wine became somehow magical when Len was around. Every visit to the Hunter Valley to see him was potentially a journey of discovery, and some of my most cherished memories are of times spent dining and enjoying wine at Loggerheads, his Pokolbin home.

Anyway, we shouldn't forget the great, and I won't. You're still missed, Chairman.

Lanson NV

Lanson NV $70

I noted that Campbell Mattinson at Winefront gave this a good wrap recently. I reckon he's spot on the money too. It's a really fresh, complex NV Champagne. Plenty of biscuity/citrus flavour, a healthy dose of sugar to fatten it up a little as well, it must be said, but that just makes it all the more attractive and approachable. Head and shoulders above the current Moet & Chandon NV, and at pretty much the same price.

La Chapelle

The Jaboulet table at the Ficofi/Kaesler tasting. The late 1990's vintages of La Chappelle ( at least the ones that I have tried, 98 in particular) have been fairly forgettable. I quite liked the 1991, drinking well, not an acclaimed vintage but sometimes drinkability is an under-rated quality. No notes on this table, the speed tasting had started to slip into overdrive.

Leroy Gevrey Chambertin 1967

It was a village wine, but a 42 year old one at that which was drinking pretty nicely. Tasted like an old, gentle, leathery Burgundy, and anytime someone serves you Leroy it is a good day. Also a bottle of 92 Leroy Musigny opened which was impressive.

Montrachet

Well, I've never even seen a bottle of Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet before, let alone a 3 litre bottle of one, but here it was, at the Ficofi tasting.

Without going into a fit of hyperbolic ranting, the one thing that drinking a glass of this wine tells you is that great wine is about balance. It was one of the most 'seamless' wines I have tasted, and only when you have tasted a wine like this do you understand how overused and abused the 'seamless' descriptor is. Long, svelte and delightful. That just about covers it.

Tour Tales and True- September

My monthly golf related articles in Golf Digest always had a lot of readers on the old site, so I'll post them here as well for those who are interested. This month, a tale about the sabbatical in South Africa this year and the rise and rise of South Africa as a force in mens professional golf.

La,La,La-La...Laaaa

Another touch of wine voyeurism from the Ficofi tasting. This time, a swathe of Guigal single vineyard wines, often referred to by those who have an intimate relationship with them as 'La-La's' ( the three wines being La Landonne, La Mouline, and La Turque). Not being on a first name basis, I'll just call them 'sir'.

These were from 1996 and 2005 and were stunning wines. It was the first time I had ever tried a La Mouline or La Turque and I wasn't disappointed. Strong, authoritative wines with deliciously savoury fruit flavours. Great wines.

A Swill Fest for Oligarch's

This tasting will go down in the memory as one of the most remarkable I have ever been to. In this day and age, when the great wines of the world are so prohibitably expensive, to see such a line up is something that I doubt I will ever experience again.

The event was put on by Ficofi, a wine investment/prestige corporate tasting company based in France, presumably sponsored by Ed Peter, the owner of Kaesler Wines in the Barossa who is also a big player in the world of finance. The rumour was that it was put on for some heavy hitting Asian investors who flew down especially for the occasion, and who would blame them.

The scary thing was that it was almost impossible to get around to all the wines. Absurdly, you found yourself spitting out mouthfuls of wine from $5000, large format bottles. All the great names of wine were there...Montrachet, La Tache, Leroy, Petrus, Guigal, Margaux, Musigny, and the list goes on. It was a wonderful experience, but something of a guilty pleasure. I doubt that I'll ever get to do something like this again.

Unfortunately I had to run for the airport, and didn't get to try everything. I also didn't really do a lot of the wines justice, rushing through many and unable to really take in everything that I would have liked to. Still, I'll remember it for a long time to come. It was a great privilege to be invited and I thank Kaesler very much for the opportunity.

More notes and pics to follow.

(Disclaimer- I'm a director of D&H Fine Wine which has a commercial relationship with Kaesler)

Barossa Wine Traveller Launch

Well, it's finally done. Barossa Wine Traveller is published, and coming to a bookstore near you. There are a ton of great stories in here, offering an insight into the Barossa that the locals know and enjoy. Charlie Melton's stuff in particular is a hoot, and Pete Scholz from The Willows and Rob Gibson also gave up some wonderful anecdotes.

If you want to read a little more, check out www.barossawinetraveller.com.au for stockists or if you just want to buy a copy.

Barossa Wine Traveller

Many moons ago, my then partner (now wife) came home from work one day and said, "There's a wine nerd like you at my work." Cruel, but accurate.

Not long later, I got in touch with said person, a budding wine enthusiast by the name of Tyson Stelzer. Soon after we both found ourselves with little wine writing gigs in a couple of magazines, which meant that a few samples started coming our way.

So what we did was get together every couple of weeks, taste the samples, discuss wines, and basically use each other as a sounding board as we tried to understand wine a little better.

Tyson has gone on to become one of the most prolific writers in the country, authoring numerous books, and contributing to Decanter and Wine Spectator. I've gone down a different path, and consequently we don't see that much of each other these days, although we do stay in touch.

A while back, it was observed by Barossa winemaker Wayne Dutschke that the Barossa Valley didn't have an up-to-date tourist guide that detailed all the wine producers in the 'Valley. Tyson and I came into the discussion, the idea of writing a book was mooted and then it was promptly forgotten about for a good year.

The Tyson called and said, 'Do you want to write this book?', and the rest, as they say, is history. Or history from Friday(tomorrow) onwards, when 'Barossa Wine Traveller' will be launched in Tanunda on August 28.

Writing a book is a massive task. For two months I don't think I went to bed before midnight once. We set a seriously tight writing and research schedule, but met the deadlines somehow.

The result is something that I'm very proud of, but most of the credit needs to go to Tyson. The writing is just one part- putting a book like this together though is way out of my league.

The photography by Dragan Radocaj in Barossa Wine Traveller is some of the most spectacular I have ever seen, and it's a good read- Barossa through the eyes of the Barossan's. Check it out at http://www.barossawinetraveller.com.au/

Stellar Aussie Chardonnay

I opened seven Australian Chardonnay's over the last few days. For me, this is a category that has gone ahead in leaps and bounds over the last half dozen years, with a trend towards more adventurous winemaking and restrained use of oak.

But if anything, a few of the wines tasted have gone almost too far in search of elegance and refinement. Lower alcohols and a citrus driven profile has been achieved, but at the expense of flavour development and interest. Texturally too, a couple were a touch mean, with a pitched acid attack that hinted of under-ripeness. A work in progress, in some cases, but fascinating to observe nonetheless. There was, however, one stand out wine,

Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay 2008 $35

A beguiling wine of complexity and subtlety. A fine balance between winemaking intervention and fruit expression has been struck- faintly creamy /oatmeal/ white peach aromatics, with delicate citrus and white peach flavours buttressed by the textural influence of high quality oak and a dollop of malo. Low in alcohol (13%) but high in flavour, interest and enjoyment. 94 points, drink 2010+

Shiraz and Regionality

The concept of regionality has been on the mind for a while. It is the catchcry of the industry Down Under, a central platform for the marketing boffins seeking to reinvent Australia's identity as a wine producing nation.


It's a good one too. The idea that Australia is one big, homogenous, vinous blob is absurd in the extreme but nonetheless it is a theory being perpetuated by a few detractors in the global market. One way to change that perception is to show how regionality manifests itself in the final product.



Whether there are enough people out there to whom this point of difference matters is another question altogether. The industry, and those around it who are passionate about wine, always tend to overestimate the level of interest that the average wine drinker has in learning more about wine. For most, it's a drink; an alcoholic beverage.


There are two questions which are primarily asked by the unengaged wine drinker; 'What does it cost?', and ' Is it any good?' To further demonstrate how far we have to go before regionality is a relevant component of the buying process for the majority of consumers, examine the fact that in the Netherlands, a significant emerging market, 94% of bottled wine sold sells for under 6 euros a unit. It simply isn't possible to make a regionally specific, varietally distinctive wine in Australia at quality orientated yields and to get it to retail in an overseas market at this price.


But that's where the market is at the moment, whether we like it or not. We may have unique, individual wines that speak of their origins right across the 60+ growing regions of Australia, but we also need a heck of a lot of people to start trading up as well if we want to sell them at prices where everyone makes a dollar. Patently, there is some work to do.

Nonetheless, and to sate my own curiosity, I thought I'd take a look at a range of Shiraz from five different Australian wine growing regions to refresh my own thoughts on the notion of regionality,



Warramate (White Label) Shiraz 2007 $42 (Yarra Valley, Victoria)



From 37 year old vines grown in the Yarra Valley. Quite an elegant, refined Shiraz. You'd pick the cool climate origins- the pepper, spice and dark cherry elements dropping a hint, and then the savoury, medium weight palate and low-ish alcohol confirming first impressions. Lovely line and length here and delicate tannins, not a bruiser but it is a wine you keep coming back to for another glass. (And like most good wines, it is even more impressive on the second day, filling out and becoming more complex) 93 points, 2011+



Picardy Shiraz 2007 $25 (Pemberton, WA)


The nose on this wine, year after year, always challenges. Smoky, meaty, peppery, spicy, showing a little reduced, becoming more floral and clovey with air. Yet again though, the flavours of this wine are bright and delicious, with lingering red cherry and red plum flavours that have some meaty, savoury complexity in the background. It is a versatile, interesting, and quite elegant Shiraz that drinks beautifully now but will age over the medium term. Another top wine from Picardy. 93 points, 2009+



Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz 2008 $17 (Eden Valley, SA)



There is a great honesty about the Torzi Matthews wines- they're packed with flavour but not contrived, and always excellent value for money. There's some Eden Valley floral perfume here, and lots of rich, luscious, dark fruit with chocolate and spice overtones. At the price, it's a bargain. 90 points, 2009+


Pepperjack Barossa Shiraz 2008 $24 (Barossa Valley, SA)


There are some truly delicious, flavour packed wines from the 2008 Barossa vintage. It was a vintage in two parts- before heat wave, and after. Just about everyone seems to be saying that they picked before the heatwave. The proof in 2008 will be in the prune pudding.



The aesthetes amongst us would probably ascribe a degree of 'dead' fruit to this wine. Certainly, it is very ripe, lush and concentrated. That said, I reckon a majority of consumers would find it intoxicating because of this very point. Meat and poison, as they say. Blackberries, prunes- sweet and rich, but the wine doesn't show overt alcohol and despite the fruit sweetness finishes dry and spicy. 89 points, drink 2009+


Mitchelton Shiraz 2007 $20 (Nagambie, Victoria)


2007 was a difficult vintage in most of South East Australia. Parts of Victoria (and Coonawarra) got smashed with frost, and then later by heat. Yields were very low, especially in the Pyrenees, Great Western, and Nagambie, where Mitchelton are based.

Rich colours, with typical regional spice and dark fruits on the nose. The troubled year though shows through on the palate, the dark cherry and plum flavours hitting a wall of drying, slightly stressed tannins. It works quite nicely with food at this stage, but might be a better early drinking option than a cellaring proposition. 88 points, 2009+

Top Shelf Riesling

Frankland Estate 'Smith Cullam' Riesling 2008 $35

The packaging of Australian wine has come a long way over the last ten years. Obviously there a lot more designers in the game now, but the style, sophistication and creativity of what is appearing in the market has taken a quantum leap. Exhibit A, the Smith Cullam range from Frankland Estate.

This exquisite wine deserves a beautiful label. Made in a kabinett (Germanic) style with some residual sugar and low-ish (11%) alcohol, it delivers a stunning array of pristine riesling aromatics and flavours, with flowers, limes, stones and minerals flooding the senses. The weight and power of the wine are totally at odds with each other- light and floating in the mouth, but forceful and with serious length and persistence. It's a benchmark for the style in Australia. 95 points, drink 2010+

Taste- New release whites- August 2009

Time to rip into some good Aussie juice...

Tin Soldier Semillon 2007 $15

I was interested to note that Tin Soldier is one brand under the banner of Swish Wine, a new company based in the Hunter Valley, who, amongst other things, has acquired Gartelmann Estate.

One of the more memorable ( and surprising) wines of the past few years was the Gartelmann Estate Semillon 2006. Surprising, because I hadn't heard much of them previously, and memorable because the wine was stunning.

So it is of some interest to see just what they are creating in place of the Gartelmann brand. Also interesting to note that this is a 2007 vintage release at a time when most of the 2009's are in the market.

For $15 though, this is a handy mouthful of wine. Warm year (2007) Hunter aromatics ( lemongrass, passionfruit) and a ripe, textured but varietally Semillon mouthfeel with citrus, passionfruit and herb flavours. Lots of fresh acidity but it's a tad friendlier and fruit driven than a lot of young Semillon's, which isn't a bad thing. 90 points, drink 2009+

Tin Soldier Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $15

Slightly sweaty at first, with grass and capsicum aroma's. Good energy and zip across the palate, fresh and vital with citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Plenty of flavour here- no complaints about the value for money either. 90 points, drink 2009+

Next of Kin Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $17

New label from Xanadu Wines in Margaret River. Spunky Marg River Sem/Sauv aromatics, all grassy and full of lifted green. Punchy green spice on the front palate, a little broad through the middle, passionfruit, capsicum, citrus and herb on the aftertaste. 87 points, drink 2009+

Long Haul Cinema

When do you get the chance to watch movies these days? I can't recall the last time I went to the cinema- it was literally years ago. The best chance for seeing anything like a new release is on an aeroplane, when you can switch off for a few hours and take advantage of some momentary solitude.

On my recent flight from Johannesburg to Sydney I watched two quite different films.

Disgrace

The brilliant novel by JM Coetzee has unfortunately failed to translate to the big screen. Despite John Malcovich's best efforts, his characterisation of a philandering, conflicted University lecturer gets lost somewhere in the screenplay rewrite. There is no real explanation of how or why he arrives at the decision to sleep with prostitutes and students, and the shallowness of his character doesn't allow us to empathise or judge him for his actions.

Add to this the fact that the Australian based production used mainly Australian actors whose fey South African accents dropped in and out of dialogue at regular intervals and you have a movie which was hard going. I couldn't see it through to the end. Poor script, stolid acting and a good idea gone wrong.

Tyson

On the other hand, this was one of the more rivetting documentaries I've seen in some time. A mesmerising portrait of one of the most controversial athletes of the last century, Tyson is a warts and all auto-biographical doco of the former heavy weight boxing champion, Mike Tyson.

There has always been a sense of tragedy about Tyson, a poor kid/wrong side of the tracks/made good/gone bad /story for the ages. The tragedy is tangible, but unexpectedly Tyson's brutal honesty and unguarded dialogue throughout the film offers an insight into a more complex, albeit conflicted, thinker.

Where we expect brutality, we often get philosophy. There's brutality in spades, no question, and Tyson's brand of philosophy isn't going to be mistaken for Descartes, but through it we end up finding a man who is acutely aware of his own failings.

In the main, he isn't apologetic for them. The fact that Tyson once experienced the power that came with being the world's most feared and famous athlete means that some of the "ultimate alpha male" residue still exists.

He doesn't resile from his past, nor sugar coat his misdemeanors (other than denying that he was guilty of the rape charge that put him in prison for three years).

Guilty or not, the complex juxtaposition of candidness, repressed anger and emotional pain laid bare makes this film enthralling viewing. "Tyson" is highly recommended.

Bang for your Buck in Cape Town

A quick post for those thinking about heading down to the Cape in winter. If you want to eat unbelievably well for not a lot of money, then check out these winter specials in some of South Africa's best restaurants http://www.thecru.co.za/2009/05/27/a-complete-list-of-winter-specials-at-cape-town-restaurants/

New Home for The Wining Pro

Actually, The Wining Pro is no more. The wine column that I wrote under that name in Golf Digest for five years has been discontinued, so it seemed like a good time to move on as well. The old website took up a lot of time to keep current and was cumbersome to use. It was also starting to look dated...I think the picture at the top was about 10 years old!

So, I'll gradually be shifting some material over to this blog in the next few weeks, and in a couple of months the old site will be shut down.

As for what will be here...mainly tasting notes of samples that get sent, some travel posts when I'm on the road, the occasional article that I write on golf for Golf Digest...that sort of stuff. All the best.