Out Of The Bottle
With David Ellis 2009 Katnook Estate Sauvignon Blanc & Kirrihill’s 2008 Single Vineyard Tullymore Cabernet SauvignonWhen
Wayne Stehbens says his 2009 Katnook Estate Sauvignon Blanc is “his
best yet,” he does so with somewhat of authority: he’s been making the
variety since 1981, decades before many other Australian winemakers
wrapped up in their Chardonnays had given it even the remotest thought.
“2009
was an extraordinary year for Sauvignon Blanc,” says the veteran of 28
continuous vintages of the variety in South Australia’s Coonawarra.
“Temperatures were slightly below average, it was dry and we had
excellent fruit off the vines just before a heatwave set in.”
The
resultant wine from all these blessings of Mother Nature has up-front
tropical fruit flavours, subtle herbaceous characters and nice
accompanying minerality. And running contrary to what most say about
Sauvignon Blanc, Wayne predicts that this one will cellar well for up
to ten years.
“We tend to buck the general view that Australian
Sauvignon Blanc does not age,” he says. “Only recently we tasted a
1981, our very first vintage of the variety, out of the cellar. It was
extraordinarily youthful with orange blossom notes, a touch of
minerality and barely a hint of oxidation.”
Pay $28 and for
something a little unusual in food matches, Wayne suggests a puree of
peas and beans, shitake mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil.
One For LunchIf
you like a good slab of prime rib, don’t look past Kirrihill’s 2008
Single Vineyard Tullymore Cabernet Sauvignon from the Clare Valley to
go with it.
Winemaker Donna Stephens took advantage of the
finest premium fruit from the Tullymore Vineyard to craft a wine with
classic Clare Cabernet flavours: ripe black berries, plum, mulberry, a
nice touch of oak and elegant tannins. At $19.95 good value with that
prime rib and oven-roasted vegies.
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