To search tasting notes for a particular wine either use the search box or select a wine category from the menu above.
Each quarter, Kel writes a letter to our Summit Cru members and includes tasting notes for each varietal he hand picks to go into each dozen. As there is cellaring time suggested (we can only suggest) for each variety, you may want to read over some notes to refresh your memory or to see what you have to look forward to if you have been well restrained enough to actually cellar your wines.
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Feathertop Reserve - 2001 Alluvium – Cabernet, Merlot & Petit Verdot blend |
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80% Cabernet, 12% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot
Alluvium derives its name from the soil types that it is grown on. Like the soils the wine is deep in colour, rich and complex. Cabernet provides the framework, Merlot the meat, Petit Verdot the muscle tone. Only the best barriques & best years are accepted into this flagship wine. One of my best wines over twenty years at Porepunkah.
An interesting fact – when we bottled this wine, we put some under cork and some under screw top. The wine with screw tops has, to date, retained its freshness more so than the wine bottled with corks.
Region: Boynton’s Vineyard, Alpine Valleys, North East Victoria
Colour: Mid to dark red – clinker brick, with just a touch of mature browns at the meniscus.
Aroma: Very complex and will change as the wine absorbs oxygen in your glass.
Palate: Savoury and mature. It is still holding structure and richness and has softened beautifully over the nine years.
Cellaring: It has been cellared long enough so drink it now with your best friend or friends.
Serving suggestions: Decant but not for a huge amount of time. Try it with something classically French, especially from the Bordeaux region. I’m thinking lamb rather than beef, or even duck.
Alc: 13.5% vol |
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The marriage of the Alpine Valley and Merlot is quite outstanding. I’ve been making Merlot off our vines for 20 years now and this one is especially good with more than usual aromas of dark berried fruits and floral notes of violets. The palate is soft and full with fine tannins giving the wine both structure and balance. My guess is that this wine will continue to improve for many many years. Drink one now and hide two.
Region: Boynton’s Vineyard, Alpine Valleys, North East Victoria
Colour: Lively red. Dark for a pure Merlot.
Aroma: Dark berries behind which is the lifted scent of violets.
Palate: I find this wine to be mid-weight with a smooth finish. There is a touch of spice to this wine that I like.
Cellaring: Will cellar well for many years. Janelle and I are drinking my 18 year olds now. Lucky us eh?
Serving suggestions: Handles game dishes well but if you cant get a rabbit, hare, duck, pigeon or piece of venison, try the gourmet butchers for sausages of the same. Make a Cassoulet if you have the patience.
Alc: 13.50% vol
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I love Tempranillo. Apart from the wine being rich and savoury, it reminds me of my travels through the rough terrain south of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. As I sip and taste I have visions of black bulls, cowboys, hazy horizons, villages with narrow streets and great bars with tapas. Tempranillo to me is a long table full of great friends, food, conversation, wine and song over and insanely long period of time. I call them long lunches and have them as much as possible. Enjoy my Tempranillo.
Region: Alpine Valleys, North East Victoria
Colour: Deep red, almost purple red.
Aroma: My nose tells me it has the trademark dark red cherry aromas of the Tempranillo grape along with ripe dark berries and dark stone fruit.
Palate: Rich and long. Nice tannins. Round and full. Delicious!
Cellaring: As yet I have little experience from this region but the Spanish versions have a history of aging for many years.
Serving suggestions: Decant for an hour or two before serving would be ideal. Because of its richness I’d suggest something meaty. Rare roasted beef, or at the other end of the spectrum, braised beef brisket or cheek on a mash of potato and parsnip or pureed celeriac. But quite honestly, I’d be happy to share a bottle with a friend while picking at slices of local salami or prosciutto, home pickled olives and a hard cheese.
Alc: 14.0% vol
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I really like this wine that I believe is native to Sardinia. It has beautiful mouth filling richness and softness, unusual for a white wine. I also like its sweet peachiness over the top of it’s zippy acidity. I made one from fruit grown in the hot Riverland back in 2004 and was surprised how well it aged, even improved, over the next five years. This one is from Heathcote and our own vineyard.
Region: Heathcote and Boynton’s Vineyard, Alpine Valleys
Colour: Pale straw
Aroma: Ripe peach, honey and mandarin
Palate: Peachy and honeyed over the top of some citrus and Granny Smith apple acidity
Cellaring: I think it would age well, but again I’d drink it now. I will be making this for many years to come and will keep you informed on my thoughts and findings re: cellaring.
Serving suggestions: I am trying to think of dishes that it wouldn’t go with. I would appreciate your feedback here. Tonight while writing these notes, I drank it with some bread crumbed and pan fried trevelli and it was great. Why bread crumbed? Because my 5 and 6 year olds will eat just about anything in bread crumbs without any fuss! The easy option.
Alc: 13.0% vol
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In my opinion this is an underrated (mostly Portuguese) variety that loves the Australian warm growing conditions. It is one that retains its acid really well even in the hottest of years ensuring the wine retains its fruitiness. My neighbour grows it here in Porepunkah and I have dared to make a dry yet full bodied style from it. Try it with a slow roasted chook (free range if possible) marinated, then braised in the juice and zest of a lemon and olive oil. Try the chook on cous cous with finely chopped olives mixed through it.
Region: Porepunkah, Alpine Valleys, N.E.Victoria
Colour: Pale straw
Aroma: Some citrus, pear, even honey suckle.
Palate: Reasonably rich for a crisp dry white.
Cellaring: I don’t really know but I’d be drinking it while it’s fresh and young because that is what I like most about white wines.
Serving suggestions: Salads, be they warm or cold. I don’t mean plain leafy salads but ones with heaps of goodies in, or on them.
Alc: 13.0% vol
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