Generations of Australian wine growers show their lineage
Wendler on Wine • Monday, July 9, 2012 Justinian's wine correspondent G.D. Wendler hotfooted it to the masterclass, feast and tasting put on at The Ivy by Australia's First Families of Wine ... There were plenty of wild moments for the palate ... Toasty vanilla noses and more
AUSTRALIA'S First Families of Wine is a collective of 12 multi-generational family-owned wine producers.
Collectively these 48 generations of wine makers are drawn from 17 regions around the country.
The aim is to showcase a range of the best Australian wine with a focus on regional and iconic drops.
According to Graham Loft's book, Heart and Soul - Australia's First Families of Wine, the idea is to ...
"engage consumers, retailers, restaurateurs and the wine industry across the globe about the real character and personality of Australian wine, and about the unique character and personalities behind it."
A winemaking family seeking to join the AFFW association must satisfy a number of inviolable conditions:
- Membership of the Winemakers Federation of Australia;
- Demonstration of family control;
- A history of three generations of involvement in the winemaking business;
- Ownership of a vineyard a minimum of 50 years old and evidence of best viticultural practises together with environmentally sustainable packaging of wine products.
The current 12 members of AFFW are:
- Howard Park- Denmark WA.
- Mc Williams – Hunter Valley NSW.
- Tyrrell's – Hunter Valley NSW.
- Brown Bros – Milawa VIC.
- Taylors – Clare Valley SA.
- Ch. Tahbilk – Nagambie VIC.
- d-Arenberg – McLaren Vale SA.
- Yalumba – Barossa Valley SA.
- Jim Barry – Clare Valley SA.
- Henschke – Eden Valley SA.
- De Bortoli – Riverina NSW.
- Campbells – Rutherglen VIC.
Recently, they gathered in Sydney for a wine appreciation masterclass - an event organised by the ebullient and indefatigable Kathy Lane, principal of Fireworks, an innovative Melbourne PR company.
Each of the principal AFFW members presented a short family history of their wines and winemaking.
The masterclass invitees food and wine writers, sommeliers from restaurants and hotels, wine merchants and students embedded in various facets of the hospitality industry.
* * *
A TROIKA of white wines commenced with a tasting of the Howard Park 2006 Riesling, followed by McWilliams Lovedale 2005 Semillon and concluding with Tyrell's Vat 47 2005 Chardonnay.
The flight of red wines comprised a 2004 Brown Bros. Patricia Merlot followed by Taylors 1999 St. Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon.
Then came a 1981 Ch. Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon, d'Arenberg's 2005 Dead Arm Shiraz, Yalumba's 2002 Reserve Cabernet Shiraz, Jim Barry's 2006 The Armagh Shiraz concluding with a Henschke 2005 Hill of Grace.
Finally, there were two sweet wines, the 2006 De Bortoli Noble One and Campbell's Merchant Prince NV Muscat.
Howard Park, the only Western Australian member of AFFW, has a secure reputation for excellent red and white wines. I have a particular taste memory of the 1991 Riesling made by ex-Plantagenet winemaker John Wade - a wine of clean and brilliant rolling citrus moments.
Howard Park is owned by the effervescent Jeff Burch and his wife Amy. Jeff's wine making equation is simple; good quality fruit equals premium wine.
My tasting notes reveal the 2006 riesling was about in balance, with a hint of residual sweetness - nevertheless it was impressive enough and vaguely reminiscent of the German Kabinett QMP style.
The McWilliams Lovedale 2005 semillon is wonderful.
The Lovedale label has a reputation for reliability. It is said of Hunter semillon that, cellared properly, it transmogrifies in the bottle every seven years.
The first seven year cycle of this Lovedale revealed a soft buttery colour. It had a pronounced lime cream thrust on the middle palate. If you can still find this wine commercially, don't stand there, buy it.
Tyrell's Vat 47 2005 chardonnay, a label established in 1971 and according to James Halliday is...
"recognised by wine show judges wine writers and the public alike as consistently one of the best chardonnays."
It is in balance and drinking superbly. The fruit was sourced from Tyrell's 1908 vineyard. Historically it is argued the 1973 and 1977 are the most revered vintages of this wine. It had a toasty vanilla nose and easy satisfying finish.
The much underrated Brown Bros Patricia merlot from the outstanding 2004 vintage was very impressive. Smooth and corpulent. I thought this was the stand out red wine.
The 1999 Taylors St Andrews cabernet sauvignon at 15 percent alcohol was a little too hot and bothered.
Its attractive subtle eucalyptus nose insinuated typical Clare Valley cabernet pedigree. It's a wine that is really not at its drinking and requires further cellaring.
The 1981 Tahbilk cabernet was, at 30 years of age, drinking at its very best.
I sat next to Alister Purbrick during the lunch that followed the class. Purbrick's a Roseworthy graduate whose grandfather Eric, was a Cantabrigian and barrister of the Inner Temple.
He left the English bar to preside over his first vintage at Tahbilk in 1931. I reminded Alister that his wine had a "royal" association - a Tahbilk cabernet having been served to the Queen on her second visit to Australia in 1963.
The 2005 d'Arenberg Dead Arm shiraz was its usual powerful self.
The style of the wine reminds of Gerard Manley Hopkin's poem Harry Ploughman.
The winemaker, Chester Osborn, with Sun King hair and wearing a smarties lolly coloured jacket gave an entertaining explanation concerning the style of the Dead Arm Shiraz. He said it's called Dead Arm because:
"that's what you get if you drink too much of it and fall asleep on your arm."
The Yalumba Reserve 2002 cabernet shiraz from the outstanding 2002 year was delicious enough, but not in balance and needs significant time to settle.
The 2006 Jim Barry The Armagh shiraz monstered my palate running at 15.6 percent alcohol.
I detected cherry and black forest cake notes accompanied by the vanilla from American oak. Nowhere near drinking, but not without special interest in the long term.
The last of the red wines was the evocative Henschke Hill of Grace shiraz 2005.
I have previously written about the history of Hill of Grace as one of Australia's iconic red wines.
See: The day Doris accidentally shot Cyril and Hill of Grace footnote.
I spoke with its maker, the accommodating and sagacious Stephen Henschke, concerning the exorbitant price the wine now commands.
He pointed out that it's a single vineyard limited production wine and the secondary wine sales market has been the driving force behind the incremental increase of the price of the wine to now over $500 a bottle.
Historically collectors had traded the wine for prices higher than he sold it cellar door.
The two sweet wine styles were a feu de joie.
The De Bortoli had a beautiful fresh pineapple peel nose, was fat and satisfying. Colin Campbell's Merchant Prince Muscat - named after the ship that brought Colin Campbell's grandfather to Australia - was a high glycerol riot of chocolate and caramel cream.
James (The King) Halliday has planted a kiss of approval on the AFFW project:
"Unless my judgment is sadly astray, the future of the Australian wine industry is in the hands of the first families and others like them."
G.D. Wendler
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