Session 23 - Mythbusters

In preparation for this tasting, we undertook rigorous research interviewing some of the wine industry's leading winemakers, distributors, sommeliers and writers, mostly over glasses (and sometimes bottles) of wine. We also took to the streets (ie. Facebook & Twitter) to talk to regular people who enjoy wine. People like you.

And so, at the conclusion of our research, we now have one of the most authoritative lists of Wine Myths ever assembled.

At this tasting we explored a few common wine myths through tasting, talking and testing preconceived ideas. 

Bracket 1 – “But I Only Drink French, Dahhhling”

              Clover Hill Methode Traditionnelle 2007 @CloverHillWines

              Arras Grand Vintage 2004

Bracket 2 – “None Of That ‘Cougar Juice’ For Me!”

            Mitchell Harris Sauvignon Blanc Fumé 2012 @Mitchell_Harris

            Terre à Terre Sauvignon Blanc 2012 @OzTerroir

Bracket 3 – “Anything But Chardonnay!”

              Mountadam High Eden Estate Chardonnay 2011

              Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Barkala Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay 2011          @OakridgeWines1

              Bobar Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2012 @BobarWine

Bracket 4 – “There’s No Good Pinot Noir Under $20”

              Last Horizon Tamar Valley Pinot Noir 2012

              De Bortoli Yarra Valley Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2011 @DeBortoliWines

Bracket 5 – “Good Imported Wine Is Too Expensive”

Les Courtilles Cotes du Rhone 2011 @FourthWaveWines

La Senda de los Elefante Tempranillo 2010 @FourthWaveWines

              Elefante Tempranillo Shiraz 2010 @FourthWaveWines

Bracket 6 – “Blends Are Inferior - Made To Get Rid Of Leftovers and Mistakes”

              Kaesler Avignon 2009 @KaeslerWine

              Adam’s Rib ‘The Red’ 2010 @adamsribwines

FACT OR MYTH?

• Sparkling wine is at its best when served in a fluted glass
• A spoon handle popped in the top of a champagne bottle will seal it & stop it from going flat
• Winemakers are busy around vintage time, but get to take most of the year off.
• Wine doesn’t keep once it’s been opened
• Legs in the glass indicate a quality wine
• Chablis and Burgundy are varieties of grape
• Screw caps indicate a lower quality of wine
• Aged wine needs to be aerated more than young wine
• Some wines have fruit juice added to them get flavours like passionfruit, lemon or pineapple
• White wine goes with chicken and fish, red wine goes with red meat
• Australian wines are only made using young fruit
• The deeper the punt, the better the wine
• The thicker and heavier the bottle, the better the wine
• Price is the best indicator of the quality of a bottle of wine
• Rose and Riesling are sweet styles of wines
• Sweet wines have more calories than dry wines
• White wines are at their best when served chilled
• Red wine should be served at room temperature
• Aged wines are better than young wines
• A sommelier’s job is to talk you into spending more money on wine
• Wine in restaurants is always overpriced
• You can tell if a wine is ‘corked’ by sniffing the cork
• All wine gets better with age
• You need to know a lot about wine to appreciate it

Session 6 - Grenache

Grenache is one of Australia's own.  Despite its origins being of Northern Spain (one of its synonyms is Tinta Aragones - red of Aragon) and it being lauded as a key component of Southern Rhone blends, Grenache was one of the grape varieties brought to Australia by James Busby not long after settlement.

Much neglected for many years, it was often used in fortified wines to provide alcohol and bulk, some of Australia's oldest vines were pulled in the 80's vine pull.  Thankfully the old fines are treasured and from them some stunning wines made.

Swirl, Sniff, Spit loves Grenache and is gleeful at the prospect of this glorious Grenache line-up being brought to the fine folk of Brisbane.

McLaren Vale Cadenzias

d'Arenberg 2009 The Cadenzia GSM @darenberg

Dogridge Cadenzia Grenache 2007 @dogridge

Maximus Cadenzia GSM 2009 @maximuswines

Oliver's Taranga Cadenzia Grenache 2009 @OliversTaranga

Samuel's Gorge Cadenzia 2009 Grenache @SamuelsGorge

Yangarra Cadenzia 2006 @Yangarra

 

Barossa, Northern Spain and Southern Rhone
Vieux Telegraphe Le Pigeolet des Brunier Vin de Pays 2008

Sons of Eden Kennedy vintage tbc @SonsOfEden

Clovely Left Field GSM 10 @ClovelyWine

Cirillo The Vincent 2009

MDV Eden Valley 2009 @MDVwines

Turkey Flat 2009 @TurkeyFlat

Palacios Remondo 'La Vendimia' 2010

Vina Ginesa Rojo 2009

Session 5 - Cabernet Sauvignon - Round Up

So Swirl, Sniff, Spit's 5th session focussed on Cabertnet and friends.  Here are some notes on the wines shown.

Bracket 1 – Classic ‘Bordeaux’
Margaret River – Wise Lot 80 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Showing regional typicity: dried leaf, touch of mint; blackfruits, cassis and cedar. Fine tannins

Hawkes Bay – Te Mata Woodthorpe Merlot Cabernets 2009
Softer, more fruit driven.  Balanced palate exhibiting some chocolate, blackcurrant and plum.  Good structure and length.

Bordeaux – Bordeaux Supérieur Vieux Naudin 2009
Lovely cigar and plum aroma, some ripeness in the palate.  Good finish with some grip.

Bracket 2 – The Valleys

Clare Valley - Thomson Estate Back Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Pretty aromatics; chocolate, plum and cedar through the middle leading to a grippy little finish.

Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Some funk readily apparent on the nose, meaty and savoury.  Smooth, silken and gentle persistence.  Some De Bortoli hallmarks exhibited.


Bracket 3 – Queensland’s Own

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Just turning, still exhibiting some fruit but also some secondary fig and toffee.  Good soft and long finish. 

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009
Still exhibiting youth.  Fine wine with some good chalky tannin.

Bracket 4 – Victorian High Country

Pyrenees – Blue Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quite concentrated, somewhat fruit shy.  Hint of mint with a trailing mineral finish. 

Pyrenees – Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet
Smooth rounded.  Elements in check and balance.  Clean and silken conclusion.  A winner. 


Bonus Round - Barossa
Swirl, Sniff, Spit was fortunate to have Murray Street Vineyard winemaker Andrew Seppelt in attendance.  Andrew was kind enough to bring along his 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon for the crowd.

Generous fruit and spicy oak.  Length to remember.

Bracket 5 – The Terra Rossa

Coonawarra – Yalumba Menzies 2007
Strong eucalypt and menthol aroma.  Blackcurrant, cedar, hint of violets. Fine grained dryish tannins - balanced.

Coonawarra - Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Entry is soft, mid-weight with some cedary oak.  Expected cassis and mint. It smells of the Coonawarra soil.

Session 5 - Cabernet Sauvignon

The bastard love child of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc is a relatively young grape variety from around the 16^th Century.  It’s quite a sociable beast, loving to hang out with friends and family such as Cabernet Franc (is that weird – hanging out with your Dad?), Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Its home is unarguably Bordeaux where the most famous examples make grown men cry and bank managers weep.

Bracket 1 – Classic ‘Bordeaux’
Margaret River – Wise Lot 80 Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 @TheCrushGroup

Hawkes Bay – Te Mata Woodthorpe Cabernet Merlot 2009

Bordeaux – Bordeaux Supérieur Vieux Naudin 2009 @WorldWineEstate @AlanHunter

Bracket 2 – The Valleys

Clare Valley - Thomson Estate Back Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @ByrneVineyards

Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @DeBortoliWines

Bracket 3 – Queensland’s Own

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 @WineMakerGlen

Granite Belt – Bent Road Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009 @WineMakerGlen

Bracket 4 – Victorian High Country

Pyrenees – Blue Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 @BluePyrenees

Pyrenees – Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet @DalwhinnieWines

Bracket 5 – The Terra Rossa

Coonawarra – Yalumba Menzies 2007 @YalumbaMenzies

Coonawarra - Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 @CoonawarraK

Session 4 - Shiraz

With its home in the Rhone as Syrah, what we know as Shiraz in Australia unarguably put this country on the global wine map.   Being grown in pretty much every wine-producing region in Australia, Swirl Sniff Spit has assembled a dozen Shiraz/ Syrah to show this grape off at its best!

Margaret River – Vinedrops The Collection 2009

Mount Barker – Plantagenet Shiraz 2008

Canberra District - Capital Wines Frontbencher 2009

Hunter Valley - De Iuliis Steven Vineyard Shiraz 2009

Grampians – The Story Sableux Shiraz 2009

Yarra Valley – De Bortoli Estate Syrah 2008

Granite Belt – Pyramids Road Shiraz 2009

Hawkes Bay - Te Mata Bullnose Syrah

Great Western – Best’s Bin 1 Shiraz 2009

Great Western – Best’s Bin 0 Shiraz 2008

Barossa Valley – Murray Street Vineyard Greenock Shiraz 2006

McLaren Vale – Gemtree Obsidian Shiraz 2008

Session 3 - Pinot Noir

"A seductive, yet fickle mistress", or "sex in a glass".  Pinot Noir has been christened thus and a number of other names, many of which reference its reputation as one of the most challenging of varietals to grow.  Pinot Noir is "the heartbreak grape".


As ever, Swirl, Sniff, Spit has pulled together a global line-up designed to showcase what is great and good about this most "romantic of varietals".

Bracket 1

Blanc de Noir: Henschke Lenswood Blanc de Noir NV

Rose: De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir Rose 2010

Bracket 2

Tasmania: Frogmore Creek Pinot Noir 2008

Adelaide Hills: Vinteloper Pinot Noir 2010

Bracket 3

Mornington Peninsula: Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir 2008

Yarra: Hoddle's Creek Estate Pinot Noir 2010

Bracket 4

NZ Martinborough: The Escarpment Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008

NZ Otago: Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2008

Bracket 5

Bourgogne AC: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Rouge AC 2008

1er Cru: Camille Giroud Volnay 1er Cru 2006
Bonus: David Clark Passe-Tout-Grain 2008 (Pinot/ Gamay blend)

Bracket 6

Oregon: Evesham Wood Eola-Amity Pinot Noir 2009

Chilean: Casas Del Bosque Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2009

Session 2 - Chardonnay - Round Up

As the world is focusing on the great varietal Chardonnay on International Chardonnay Day - 26th May 2011 - it seems timely to get this wrap from the 2nd Swirl, Sniff, Spit session.

The line up featured stellar examples and highlighted much that is right and good about Chardonnay.  All we needed was some Blanc de Blanc Champagne to round things off!


Pair 1
1. Stefano Lubiana Primavera 2010, Tasmania
Slatey, a nod of grapefruit.  But the magic happens with the taught line that just extends.....Many have Stefano Lubiana amongst the top tier of Australian Chardonnay producers, this showed why.

2. Christian Moreaux 2009, Chablis AC, France
Racy, balanced and exhibiting lemon with some flinty aroma and flavour.  Smooth, long and refreshing.

Pair 2
1. De Bortoli Reserve Chardonnay 2008, Yarra Valley, Australia @DeBortoliWines
No new oak, matured in four and five year old old oak.  Creamy, dairy, yoghurt - almost a touch of Cottage Cheese - from full malo.  Elegance and length.  Superb!

2. Eldridge Estate Estate Chardonnay 2008, Mornington Peninsula, Australia @EldridgeEstate
Pineapple, grapefruit and peach through the middle.  Comely, familiar yet not overworked.  Good presence of toasty oak, again not overdone.  Quality shining throughout.

Pair 3
1. Witches Falls Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2009, Granite Belt, Queensland, Australia @TheWineryWitch
Bouquet of melon and vanilla, oak here supports, not dominates the fruit.  Not quite as defined, giving glimpses of where it will be with further vine age.
2. BK Wines Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2009, Adelaide Hills, Australia @BKWines
Wild yeast fermented in 50% new oak with leese stirring for 9 months.  Aromatic florals - very Adelaide Hills according to some attendees familiar.  Fruit is concentrated and powerful, peach leading a line with some supporting citrus.

Pair 4
1. Fraser Gallop Estate Chardonnay 2009, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia @FraserGallopEst
Lemony, buttery, peach.  It has it all but the fruit quality shines.  A backbone of acid keeps it all going and holds it in check.

2. Forrest Hill Estate Chardonnay 2009, Mount Barker, Western Australia @ForestHillWines
tight on opening, slowly unfurling to deliver typical stonefruit.  Represents its place well, cool climate acid presented with a driving line.  Length, impressive, extensive; the wine and the line.

Pair 5
1. Felton Road Chardonnay 2009, Central Otago, New Zealand @FeltonRoadWine
Toasty, nutty oak here.  It's a Chardonnay for those who want quality but want Chardonnay with all elements present. good texture, with some opening fink and grapefruit.

2. Man O' War Vineyard Valhalla Chardonnay 2009, Waiheke Island, New Zealand @ManOWarNZWine
Reductive on opening.  Shakes this sulphuric cloak off to deliver lovely minerality.  Taut and complex, struck match as mentioned.  Citrus and pear with nutty complexity.

Pair 6
1. Domaine Christian Moreau 1er Cru Chablis 2009
Very light, green tinged.  Oak present - barely.  Minerally lime, tart citrus.  Balance, elegance

2. Domaine Bouchard Per et Fils Beaune de Chateau 1er Cru 2009
Beautifully structured, with intense chalky minerality.  Comes from four different 1er Cru vineyards, where reds are the norm in Beaune.  Delicate ripe pineapple and citrus flavours.  Had me going "Wow, more please Vicar".

Session 2 - Chardonnay

Love it or loathe it, Chardonnay is quite a polarising variety.  Many say "I don't like Chardonnay", but which one?  As with many of the great varietals, Chardonnay can be greatly influenced by the of the winemaker.  Many of the great wines of the world are made with Chardonnay: Champagne, the great whites of Burgundy, icons of Australia such as Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, Cullen Kevin John...I could go on.


This line up of Chardonay at the second Swirl, Sniff, Spit event is designed to showcase what is great and good about this most noble of varietals.


Pair 1
1. Stefano Lubiana Primavera 2010, Tasmania
2. Christian Moreaux 2009, Chablis AC, France

Pair 2
1. De Bortoli Reserve Chardonnay 2008, Yarra Valley, Australia @DeBortoliWines
2. Eldridge Estate Estate Chardonnay 2008, Mornington Peninsula, Australia @EldridgeEstate

Pair 3
1. Witches Falls Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2009, Granite Belt, Queensland, Australia @TheWineryWitch
2. BK Wines Picadilly Valley Chardonnay 2009, Adelaide Hills, Australia @BKWines

Pair 4
1. Fraser Gallop Estate Chardonay 2009, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia @FraserGallopEst
2. Forrest Hill Estate Chardonnay 2009, Mount Barker, Western Australia @ForestHillWines

Pair 5
1. Felton Road Chardonnay 2009, Central Otago, New Zealand @FeltonRoadWine
2. Man O' War Vineyard Valhalla Chardonnay 2009, Waiheke Island, New Zealand @ManOWarNZWine

Pair 6
1. Les Heretiers Du Comte Lafon '09 Macon Villages, Macon, France2. Burgundy 1er Cru TBC

Session 1 - Aromatic Whites - Round Up

by The Wine Punter

The first Swirl Sniff Spit event took place on 19th April at Era Bistro in West End.  These monthly event are about bringing the Brisbane wine community together through informal, structured events, whereby we are exposed to some of the great examples of particular varieties from both Australia and overseas.  

The event is an opportunity to share these tastings with the twitter community via #swirlsniffspit and to encourage online discussion.

Below is a list of the wines tasted on the night.  For more information about upcoming events check out this website or @swirlsniffspit on twitter.  


After each pairing a vote was taken on which was the preferred wine with the results shown in brackets.

Pair 1 – Sauvignon Blanc.
Isabel Sauvignon Blanc, 2010, New Zealand (2)
Acidic, lively and delicate.  Not a lot of up-front fruit but very well rounded.  Would pair well with goat’s cheese.
Rollander, Sancerre, France (11)
Green, herbaceous, grassy and pretty nose.   Plenty of fruit on the palate, delicious.

Pair 2 – Riesling.
Heggies Riesling, 2010, Eden Valley (4)
Sherbet on the nose. Quite drying acid on the palate.

De Bortoli Kabinett Riesling, 2010, Yarra Valley (9)
Floral nose.  James @twoglasstaste suggested it’s “apple blossom soaked in kero”.  13g of residual sugar. Slaty texture with golden delicious apple flavour on the palate.  Would be a great match with pork belly and san choi bao.

Pair 3 – Pinot Grigio
Joseph Pinot Grigio, 2010, McLaren Vale (6)
Made with fruit from the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale this wine has plenty of fruit weight with at lean, crisp racy palate.
Tiefenbruner Pinot Grigio, 2009, Sudtirol, Italy (7)
This is a traditional style Grigio from Northern Italy and one of the oldest producers in the country.  Pinot Grigio has a short growing season which results in a wine which is high in acid.  This wine displayed fresh bosh pear characteristics with a nice minerally palate.


Pair 4 – Pinot Gris

Spy Valley, 2010, New Zealand. (1)
Organic viticulture, a similar climate to Alsace. A viscous wine with typical ‘oily’ characteristics.
Domaine Schlumberger, 2004, Alsace. (12)
This wine has a beautiful colour, testament to some bottle age.  Traditionally made to drink early it is clear that Pinot Gris can age well.  This wine is from one of the oldest producers in Alsace and was the wine of the night for most.  Baked apple pie comes to mind when tasting this wine, delicious.


Pair 5 – Viognier

Yalumba’Virgilius’, 2008, Eden Valley S.A. (4)
Both of these wines were made in similar fashion, organic, whole bunch pressed, wild yeast ferment.  This is a wine which could stand up to gamey meats such as venison.  
Yves Cuilleron ‘Les Chaillets’ 2009, Condrieu, France. (9)
Ginger, floral nose.  From an appellation devoted to Viognier at the top of the Rhone Valley.  One of the tasting notes which was thrown around when comparing these two wines was ‘tinned two fruits v’s ginger crème brulee’.  


Pair 6 – Gewurztraminer

Stonecroft, 2009, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (3)
Gewerz’ is ‘the’ aromatic wine with such a generous nose.  Plenty of spice on this one, less candied and a great palate balance of fruit and spice.
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, 2008, Alsace, France (9)
Slaty soil and a long growing season has produced a most beautiful example of this variety.  Rose petals and Turkish delight.  Delicious.


So that concludes the rundown of the wines from the first session, the next session will look exclusively at Chardonnay and is at Era Bistro on the 17th May. Events are open to all, but numbers are limited, so by invitation only. Keep an eye out for information from @SwirlSniffSpit on or around the 9th May.

#SwirlSniffSpit is Born

The passion shared by some individuals at the consumer end of the Wine Community and some professionals within the industry have created Swirl, Sniff, Spit.

Swirl, Sniff, Spit is a monthly hosted, themed, structured wine tasting session held the third Tuesday of each month at Era Bistro.

While we get our shiny website up and running, follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwirlSniffSpit for more info.

Happy tasting!