Aussie short notes: Wirra Wirra, Hollick, Rymill, Henschke, Michael Hall & Rockford

These are some wines tasted during a 2,000 km road trip in November 2023 covering the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra, going as far as Apollo Bay and Ballarat. I know certain folks would scoff at Australian wines but plenty of superb stuff can be found at friendly prices. Wirra Wirra is an absolute gem in McLaren Vale, while Henschke (their riesling from high-altitude Eden Valley is outstanding) and Rockford remain my favourites for Barossa.

2022 Pikes “Traditionale” Riesling, on board SQ278/279 between SIN-ADL–SIN, 22 Nov and 02 Dec 2023. Dominant lift of kerosene and petroleum fumes. Open with lovely fullness and rustic suppleness, abundant in brawny fruit with overtones of nutmeg. The second bottle was distinctly better in balance and subtlety.

2021 Stoney Rise Gruner Veltiner, by the glass at Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Pale golden. forward bouquet of fresh morning dew with a clean floral lift. Medium-full, exuding a very elegant presence of orchard fruit with a dash of bitter lemon within a lush velvety smoothness.

2015 Albright Longline Grenache, by the glass at Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Impenetrable red. Mild nose of understated licorice, undergrowth and earth. Fullish presence, exerting a controlled subtle intensity with a minty glow that culminated in a peppery spicy finish.

2021 Chapel Hill Shiraz, by the glass at Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Impenetrable red, proffering a hint of vanillin sweetness with a restrained warmth though the open palate is saturated with ample swathes of ripe shiraz, structured with supple intensity and just right level of acidity, developing a sheen of creamy mocha. Very well balanced.

2022 Wirra Wirra The Lost Watch, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Very pale. This riesling exudes distant diesel fumes on the nose matched by a dry reductive fullish presence, laced with crisp acidity amid overtones of nutmeg, displaying clean precision.

2021 Wirra Wirra Church Block, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Deep purple. Medium weight. Highly supple with overtones of wet gravel displaying excellent ripeness of shiraz fruit that exert teasing intensity. Judiciously oaked. Very subtly nuanced with an even warmth, laced with just a trace of vegetal elements.

2022 Wirra Wirra The Absconder, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. This is a single vineyard 100% grenache from really old centurion vines, put through the traditional basket press followed by ageing in large French barriques for 10 months without any new oak. Highly alluring nose of delicious red fruits and currants, leading to an attractive oily density on the medium-weight palate, showing excellent integration between the slick acidity and refined tannins. Superbly balanced with fine purity without any of that herbaceous gruffness usually associated with grenache. Very lovely.

2020 Wirra Wirra RSW, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Aged in 30% new wood. Beautiful colour, exuding a restrained warm ripeness from a medium-full presence, seamlessly structured with sleek acidity and supple understated tannins. Highly integral. Drinking beautifully.

2014 Wirra Wirra RSW, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. Impenetrable red. Developing well, proffering a complex of licorice, medicinal herbs and cool ripe plummy fruit with controlled restraint on a bed of velvety tannins, oozing traces of sweetness amid early secondary characters.

2020 Wirra Wirra The Angelus, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. This cabernet sauvignon is surprisingly sleek and supple, endowed with a moderate depth of ample red fruits, gently structured with delicate presence and balance. Not at all big. Also known as The Dead Ringer outside of Australia as Château Angélus in Bordeaux had taken offence.

2019 Wirra Wirra The Holy Trinity, tasted at the cellar door, McLaren Vale, 23 Nov 2023. A cabernet-shiraz in equal proportion, this wine opens with a hint of warm gravel leading to fullish palate layered with cool ripeness, structured with well-managed tannins that exert nervous tension and teasing intensity. Good balance.

2022 Hollick Pinot Noir, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Classic pinot tint. Effusive fragrance of rose petals. Medium weight, the fruit restrained almost to the point of caution, allowing a distinct salinity to dominate. Rather straightforward.

2022 Hollick Sauvignon Blanc, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Very pale. Morning dew and grassy elements dominate amid a distinct note of raddish (a.k.a. sweaty armpits). Medium-full. Structured with a tight reductive tone with undertones of nutmeg and earth.

2020 Hollick Coonawarra Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Deep purple. Good lift of cool ripe plummy fruit amid overtones of white pepper and licorice. Medium weight. Very well balanced and proportioned, imbued with understated ferrous elements and slick acidity within a coat of sweet rounded tannins. Unexpectedly refined.

2019 Hollick Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Deep garnet. Distinct nose of red capsicum and chili skins. Softly contoured. Subtly layered with fine detail, the fruit almost pruny, structured with sweetish tannins that impart a gentle teasing intensity. Very well balanced with elegant restraint.

2020 Rymill Pioneer Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Good colour. Nose of soft red fruits, rose petals and rhubarb. Fleshy with highly supple tannins, imparting lithe intensity. A little spicy at the finish.

2019 Rymill Classic Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Deep purple. Rather restrained on the nose though the palate boasts a very refined warm ripeness tinged with sweet vanillin oak that impart fleeting intensity.

2022 Rymill Pioneer Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. The nose lacks focus, hinting at wild vegetation though the medium palate is well layered with a fine supple presence of fruit tinged with mocha.

2019 Rymill Classic Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door, Coonawarra, 25 Nov 2023. Deep purple. Medium-full, displaying a rounded tone of Asian spices and dry mushrooms amid lithe tannins, boasting fine detail and intensity.

2022 Michael Hall Adelaide Hills Piccadilly Pinot Noir, from the list of The Barn Steakhouse, Mount Gambier, 25 Nov 2023. Slightly darkish for pinot, exuding a faint rosy glow that belies the concentrated density of darkish fruit sitting on sleek acidity within sweet supple tannins. Very finely proportioned. Settled down with even balance and considerable charm, developing a refined tensile presence.

2021 Gibson My Darling Merlot, from the list of 1918 restaurant, Tanunda, Barossa Valley, 28 Nov 2023. Very deep crimson. Amply endowed with dark plummy fruit and delicious ripe berries. Weighty and intense, layered with sleek acidity. Fleshed out with more body and subtle ferrous elements within rounded supple tannins. but it’s still too tight.

2023 Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. Very pale. Effusive fragrance of orchard fruit and frangipani. Eminently tropical on the medium-weight palate with a full presence where the sleek acidity imparts refreshing zest, finishing with fine linearity. Drinking beautifully.

2008 Henschke Julius Riesling, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. This wine impressed with its power and complexity, distinctly reductive on the nose where diesel and preserved fruit dominate amid nutmeg and olives. The medium-full palate is most appropriately dry, boasting an even presence of fruit still fresh and lively, imparting elegant tension and superb balance. Finished well. From a single vineyard planted by Cyril Henschke in 1968. Outstanding.

2021 Henschke Lenswood Pinot Noir, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. Classic pinot tint. Feminine bouquet of black cherries and floral fragrance. Medium presence, subtly layered with excellent pinot character infused with lovely verve and salinity throughout. Highly integral. Beautiful.

2019 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. Deep purple. Ample depth of raspberries and mulberries that impart a plush velvety warmth with refined acidity and unobtrusive tannins. Very expertly blended with exemplary balance and integration, finishing with excellent linearity. This cabernet-shiraz is several notches above its previous incarnations, and far better than many other rival efforts.

2022 Saltram Pepperjack Chardonnay, by the glass over lunch at Salter’s Kitchen, 29 Nov 2023. Pale greenish hue. Distant notes of green melons, pears and orchard fruit though the fruit is more forward on the medium-full palate, matched by ferrous elements in equal measure with a dash of sweetness. However, it turned more reductive over time, the fruit distinctly more backward.

2020 Rockford Rod & Spur, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. Sporting a rusty red, this cabernet-shiraz is imbued with ample plummy red fruit and dark currants, quite appropriately rustic in character in its muscular verve, crisp acidity and warm ripeness.

2020 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. Dense crimson, opening with a sense of heated warmth though there is a certain restraint in spite of its excellent density of fruit, dressed in velvety tannins.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2023 disgorgement), tasted at the cellar door, Barossa Valley, 29 Nov 2023. The usual elements of Basket Press shiraz, blueberries and red currants are there, perhaps just a tad less weighty but still eminently fresh and inviting with a cool ripeness. Highly supple and engaging, replete with a dash of liqueur from the addition of a splash of Rockford’s own Vintage Port.

2022 Rockford Hand-picked Riesling, by the glass at fermentAsian, Tanunda, 29 Nov 2023. Pale greenish. Focused intensity of bitter lemon and clear citrus against a backdrop of restrained morning dew, controlled petroleum character and subdued minerals. Great balance and proportion. Finished well.

2020 Greenock Creek Shiraz, by the glass at fermentAsian, Tanunda, 29 Nov 2023. Impenetrable deep garnet. Surprisingly restrained, proffering only faint whiffs of enamel even though the medium-full palate is amply stuffed, structured with slightly assertive tannins that impart focused attack and intensity. Short finish.