Lillypilly Estate Wines

With Paul Ippolito

Lillypilly Tramillon 2005

I get between 200-300 emails a week so before you add significantly to this, yes I do know how to spell Traminer, and yes, I also do know how to spell Semillon and finally this is not a just-discovered or obscure grape varietal. It is the winemaker’s way of marketing a Traminer Semillon blend that is just quietly a very nice wine. 

Two much-maligned grape varieties now united together in vinous matrimony pulled together to delight the olfactory senses and palate alike. 

Think rose petal, musk and lychee aromas, a very light spritz character, all delicate and fragrantly fruit on the nose. Lovely fresh accompanying acidity that offsets the fruit sweetness. Gorgeously light on the palate and delivered with a remarkable refreshing burst of fruity flavours. 

A good wine at around $14. Try with pan fried green prawn cutlets with dry chillies, garlic, ginger and curry leave spices. 

Lillypilly Estate Chardonnay 2005

No surprises here when I tell you this is a classic warm climate Chardonnay varietal. Lovely mid yellow in colour, its aromas are varietal peach and melon, delivered with a full lusciously rich character with fresh lively acidity supporting the fruit. Lightly oaked with a long smooth creamy finish on the palate. Not overwhelmingly big, but generous nonetheless. 

Well made and should develop over the next 3-4 years. Try with tandoor roasted lamb cutlets marinated in yoghurt, sandalwood powder, ginger and saffron. Around $14. A very good wine.

Lillypilly Lexia 2005

Keep reading please. I know what you are doing: you are equating the word "lexia" with that style of wine you cut your vinous teeth on 20-30 years ago and some bad memories are flooding back, ones that invariably are associated with excessive consumption and promises made never to try that style again. 

"Keep reading please" I continue to say, because this stuff is not associated with that stuff - it's different. Anyway we need to forgive and forget and move on now as sufficient time has lapsed. This is an Indian food friendly style of wine. Delicately floral with exotic hints of Muscat, you get fragrant rousing characters from the aromas. Light bodied and racy in style, there is fresh acidity abounding which complements the aromatic fruit beautifully. 

It lingers long and exotically and is a classic food wine. Try this with prawns in a tamarind sauce with fenugreek and fried okra. Priced at about $14, it's good value.

Lillypilly Estate Red Velvet 2005

A glorious deep red colour with purple hints of youthful fruit. A delightful light savoury sweet red style of wine that just exudes lovely bubblegum strawberry and raspberry fruit. Luscious and smooth in delivery, you get fresh and lively well rounded flavours, fruit driven and lingering long with a good finish that provides a just right level of residual sweetness.  Around $14. Drinking beautifully now with lamb khorma. 

Lillypilly Rosè 2005

I had a quiet chuckle the other day when I heard that last year’s vintage of this wine had received a highly commended award at the recent 2006 Sydney International Wine Competition for its winemaker, Robert Fiumara. I had visions of my good wife barraging her way onto the panel to be one of the judges as she has been espousing that wine to all and sundry as her summer favourite and when I last reviewed it, she managed to consume most of the bottle, whilst leaving me with just a taste to conduct (for scientific purposes) an appropriate evaluation. 

The lengths she will go to promote her cause has no bounds so it wouldn’t surprise me if she got herself onto the judging panel somehow, just to get another taste. Well guess who’s hovering around again tonight around this new release vintage (no prizes)? Having said that it has to be said she has good taste (yes - she did marry me!). But this year’s wine is a smashingly good one again. 

Blood red in colour, it emits a confectionery character to the nose enticing you to it. Projecting just the right level of sweet berry fruit - luscious, succulent yet well balanced with the right acidity. The wine works remarkably well with Indian cuisine such as tandoori chicken tikka. Priced at around $14, it is great value. Oh and Rob, I think I’m going to need a case of this to keep marital relations in accord. Drink up everyone else and I think we have a heads up for the 2007 competition already!

Lillypilly Estate Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (375ml)

This is a multi-award winning wine that doesn’t disappoint in terms of the high expectations it brings. Robert Fiumara, winemaker at Lillypilly Estate is an expert at crafting very respectable dessert style wines and has given this one the tender loving care it deserves. Unusual as it is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, it is a top quality stickie in every sense of the word. 

Gloriously mid golden yellow in colour, it emits lusciousness and a complexity of aromas. Intensely floral with rich candied fruits, peach, apricot and honey flavours. Yet light bodied on the palate with good supporting acidity. Smooth in mouthfeel with a tremendous finish that lingers forever. 

Have with pistachio ice cream. At around $22, this is a bargain wine. P.S. The same day I retasted this wine, Rob Fiumara picked up the Myra Lehmann Perpetual Trophy for Best Dessert Wine at the 2006 Sydney International Wine Competition.  

Lillypilly Estate Noble Blend 2002 (375ml)

This is another excellent dessert style wine. Mid yellow in colour, it projects just gloriously complex aromas. I love stickies - they are so complex. Here we have an array of honey, apricots, candied fruit, burnt butter, brulee and botrytis all intertwined into each other. You sit there for minutes with your nose in the glass. I do at least, every one else seems to have drunk theirs already. Luscious smooth gliding effortlessly down the throat, you have really lovely flavours here. Lingering on and on. Not cloying and instead well balanced. 

No problems pouring another glass and just perfect with Indian style pancakes with a caramel sauce. At around $27, this is another top shelf wine form the Fiumara stable of wines.

Website: www.LillyPilly.com

Paul can be contacted by email at Paul_Ippolito@hotmail.com where you can also request to be placed on his mailing list for his wine newsletter.

About Paul Ippolito.