Ad Bibendum is a large Benelux importer of New World, especially Down Under, wines. The accent now seems to be swinging to Spain and Austria, where they have built up an impressive portfolio. The Down Under producers represented this Autumn belong to the regions producing more digestible wines like West Australia and New Zealand. Prestige blockbusting estates like Clarendon Hills, Wild Duck Creek and Rolf Binder’s Veritas used to be prominent in the line-up but I notice that the first two are now only present on the wine list in older vintages; Rolf Binder, whom I enjoyed talking to, was here a couple or so years ago.
As usual the wines on show (at least 300, I think) were far more than I could taste. As I gave the Spanish range quite a close look in the Spring, I concentrated this time mainly on the Austrians and on the excellent Frankland Estate. I was, however, pointed by Heinz Velich to two wines from the Avanthia estate in Valdeorras, Spain which were outstanding.
Nigl, Kremstal, Austria
Heinz Velich was standing in to represent this estate as well as his own and Moric, that of his brother Roland; he did a very good job. There were marked differences between each wine here as terroir and vintage spoke loud. The 2008 GVs are wonderfully crisp and focussed but whole range was excellent (and under screwcap).
Gärtling Grüner Veltliner (“GV”) 2008 (€9) was crisp, juicy and fruity with notes of apple and white pepper; 15.5/20 QPR.
Kremser Freiheit GV 2008 (€12) was more subdued aromatically but showed more amplitude and great tang and minerality; 16/20 QPR.
Senftenberger Piri GV 2008 (€15) was even broader than the previous and equally mineral with a strange tang reminiscent of glue; 15.5/20++.
Alte Reben GV 2008 (€21) showed greater roundness and richness with notes of honey, apple and crisp minerals; 16/20+++.
Kremser Terassen GV 2006 (€19) was in a different style; notably rounder with touches of orange, peach and cream, rich, spicy and long; 16/20+++.
Privat GV 2005 (€24) showed burnished aromas of flowers and grilled meat and a rich, generous palate with backbone; 17/20.
Dornleiten Riesling 2007 (€16) was crisp with rich aromas of white flowers, minerals and hints of petrol; 15.5/20+++.
Dornleiten Riesling 2005 (€15) was less crisp, more juicy with greater complexity and rather more petrol; 16/20.
Senftenberger Piri Riesling 2006 (€23) showed fruity and piquant aromas of apple, pears and spice and fresh, generous and complex fruit with minerals in the background; 16.5/20.
Privat Riesling 2006 (€35) showed peppery white flowers and generous body with a touch of RS well balanced by acidity; 16.5/20.
Reserve Riesling 2002 (€33) showed a step up in complexity with notes of flowers, white fruit, cream and petrol and in balance on round and structured palate; 17/20++.
Zweiglt Rosé 2007 (€11) came over as austere after the Rieslings but there were notes of nice tangy red and black currant and more structure, complexity and minerality than in most pinks; 15.5/20.
Velich, Apleton, Austria
We plunge into a different world here with opulent wines made in the warmer climate close to Hungarian frontier and to the large Neusiedlersee lake (less than 2 metres deep), which provides reliable botrytis.
TO 2007 (€14), from Chardonnay, Welschriesling and Sauvignon, showed some complexity with elements of cat’s piss, paste, varnish and juicy fruit but it didn’t work for me; 14/20.
Darscho Chardonnay 2007 (€28), matured in large barrels some new, showed rich, burnished tropical fruit, faint touches of butter only and nice minerality; 16/20.
Tiglat Chardonnay 2006 (€47), in spite of being matured in used barrels, showed more wood in the form of cedar notes mingled with white fruit and peach on a rich dark, salty and mineral palate; 16.5/20.
Seewinkel Beerenauslese 2006 (€18/half bottle), from Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Welschriesling, was elegant and complex with fine botrytis beautifully balanced by minerals juicy acidity; 17/20+.
Schosto Beerenauslese 2005 (€16,50/half bottle), from the same blend, was several notches up in unctuousness and depth with apricot, toffee and burgeoning botrytis but with less freshness, elegance and minerality than the previous and further from my affections; 16.5/20.
Here is a link to the estate’s webite http://www.velich.at/ , which is in German only – surprising since Heinz Velich’s English is totally fluent.
Moric, Burgenland, Austria
The estate is owned by Roland Velich and seeks to demonstrate that great wines can be made from the Blaufränkisch grape (red).
Blaufränkisch 2007 (€17) showed a nose a round quasi-Burgundian fruit but palate tangy, mat in feel and robust with minerals; a good sturdy quaff; 15.5/20.
Alte Reben Lutzmannsburg Blaufränkisch 2003 (€60!!) showed rich and intense fruit and good structure but its potential for elegance was spoiled for me by the wood, a caramelised finish; after 6 years one may ask whether it will ever integrate; 15/20.
Alte Reben Neckenmarkt Blaufränkisch 2003 (€52!) showed better integrated, though still present, wood and I was able to enjoy its fine intense fruit and dark structure; 16/20++.
Moro, Marlborough, New Zealand
This is an offshoot of the Seresin estate.
Sauvignon blanc 2008 (€13) showed a typical gooseberry tinged Sauvignon nose with perfumed boiled sweet elements and the was prettily juicy and racy with a certain sweetness; 15/20+. (Suspecting cultured yeast manipulation and some RS, I was surprised to be to be told that mainly native yeasts are used and that there were only 3g RS.)
Chardonnay 2008 (€13) was soft, juicy and creamy with some nice minerals; 15/20+.
Pinot Gris 2008 (€14) showed an interesting nose of juicy fruit and grilled meat but the palate was comparatively bland; 15/20.
Pinot Noir 2008 (€17) was light/medium bodied but I found it the most interesting of this range with its pretty cherry and kirsch aromas and gently tangy fruit; 15.5/20++.
I skipped the Seresin table as I have tasted the range in previous years and have found them less interesting than in the time of ex-winemaker Brian Bicknell.
Laibach Estates, Simonsburg, Stellenbosch, South Africa
This was represented by Stefan Dorst, consultant.
Pinotage 2007 (€14) showed attractive red fruit with grip and a not unpleasant gummy note which I have often thought typical of the variety, but which experts tell me should not be; 15.5/20.
Merlot 2004 (€14) showed aromas of red and black currant with just a hint of jamminess and a lively medium/full bodied palate with ample but nicely fresh fruit and good grip; 15.5/20 +++ QPR.
“The Ladybird” organic 2007 (€15), from Merlot 57%, CabFranc, CabSauv and Petit Verdot, showed aromas of tangy plum and a medium/full bodied freshly fruity palate, grip and a nice Bordeaux leafiness; 16/20 QPR.
Venta d’Aubert, Aragon, Spain, also represented by Stefan Dorst, winemaker.
Ventus 2006 (€12), from Merlot 35%, Monastrell 25%, CabSauv 20%, CabFranc 16% and Garnacha tinta 4%, showed sweet red and black currant aromas, soft fruit balanced by sufficient grip; nice 15/20++.
Venta d’Aubert tinto 2001 (€22), from Merlot 40%, CabSauv and Syrah both 25%, Garnacha tinta 10%, was velvety in feel with soft mature but tangy fruit and good grip; 16/20.
Syrah 2005 was the pièce de résistance but I thought it far from ready; there was impressively deep and concentrated matter and tannins but little aromatic development except some Sauvignon like feline touches; undoubtedly potential here but hard to rate; say 15/20 with +++ potential.
Frankland Estate, Frankland River Region, West Australia represented by Judi Cullam
Another fine range here. Some more mature bottles were on show. In response to my question raised by the first, quite acidic, Riesling, Judi Cullam assured me that there was not acid adjustment here. Oak is all French and is 30% new on the Shirazes.
Cooladerra Vineyard Riesling 2007 (€16) showed a very mineral nose with a lot of petrol and a palate with good matter and a lot of crisp acidity and minerality; less accessible than the next but Judi Cullam thinks that it will be a fine ager; 15.5/20 now with +++ potential.
Isolation Ridge Riesling 2007 (€16) showed better integrated aromas right now with white fruit and minerals (much less petrol) and a fine palate were fruitiness, acids, mineral and “gras” were elegantly balance; 16/20 now.
Isolation Ridge Riesling 2000 (€35 magnum) was complex and quite caressingly round bodied with hints of honey, fresh white fruit, mineral, faint petrol and burnish all in good balance; 16.5/20++.
Isolation Ridge Chardonnay (€13) showed aromas of creamy white fruit, grilled fresh and minerals and a gently creamy palate with good acidity; 15.5/20++.
Isolation Ridge Shiraz 2004 (€18) was a far cry from the frequent goop made under that grape name Down Under. Fruit was savoury and tangy damson and there was medium/full body with quite linear shape and good structure; 16/20.
Isolation Ridge Shiraz 1999 (€48 magnum) showed marked leather lacing the dark fruit on a fine medium/full palate; 16/20++
Isolation Ridge Shiraz 1997 (€48 magnum) was more subdued aromatically with less leather but with deep dark palate with chocolate notes; 16/20+++.
Isolation Ridge Shiraz 1996 (€48 magnum) was, for me, the best of this mini-vertical; rich savoury aromas of fruit with damson, grilled meat, leather hints and a dab of liqueur; 16.5/20+++.
“Olmo’s Reward” 2001 (€23), from Cabernet franc, CabSauv, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot, again showed red and black currant aromas this time complemented by hints of leather and cedar and a medium/full body with rather more intensity and finesse than the previous and good tannic structure; 16.5/20.
Schäffer & Zeter, Pfalz, Germany represented by Oliver Zeter.
I was going to skip this estate because I had tried and liked their whites in the Spring but they drew my attention to some reds.
Spätburgunder Bischofkreuz 2007 (€17) showed aromas of cherry with dabs of liqueur and a quite rich palate touches at present by pasty notes; I expressed surprise about the richness achieved by the Pinot Noir in 2007 and Zeter told me that it had been a successful year for reds in the Pfalz; 15/20++.
“5 barriques/1500 Flaschen” Pinot Noir 2007 (€27), in spite of its 100% new barrique ageing, only showed faint wood traces on the finish which is a tribute to the fine rich fruit with cherry notes; shape was elegant and linear; 16/20 with + potential.
Oliver Zeter, Pfalz
“Nüll Zeben Z” 2007 (€19), from CabSauv 65%, CabFranc 25%, Syrah 10%, clearly lacked the brooding depth of the previous, but was nevertheless very attractive with discreet aromas of currant and surprisingly rich fruit for 2007 and elegant shape with the nice Bordeaux leafy edge; 15.5/20+++. My first Bordeaux blend from Germany!
Avanthia, Valdeorras, Spain
I intended to avoid the Spanish heavy hitters but, when I said to Heinz Velich; only half jokingly, that I should go home after his table because everything else would be an anti-climax, he insisted that I should try these. He was right.
Valdeorras Godello 2008 (€29) was the best, but also the dearest, Godello I have yet seen and some of the others were very good; aromas were of fleshy white fruit and minerals and there was ripeness and fine lively acidity on the medium/full palate; 17/20.
Valdeorras Mencia 2008 (€82!!) saw 18 months in new oak but was remarkable for the purity of its aromas and fruit, with notes of red currant and cherry, and its roundness, length, elegance and acid balance; it is rare to see a red showing so beautifully with its oak well integrated so soon after bottling; 17.5/20 with ++ potential.
Other
Compared with the earlier Bx blends Moss Wood 2000 (€50), CabSauv 93%, CabFranc 3%, PV 4%, was a notch or two up in depth, complexity, structure and intensity with dark fruit, chocolate, hints of mints and nice Bordeaux leafiness adding freshness but doesn’t quite efface my memory of the 2001; 17/20.
Elderton Command Shiraz 1997 (€50). I have often found this estate’s wines heavy going but after 12 years it is drinking very nicely; aromas of raspberry, chocolate and tobacco; full body with dark fruit, enough acidity, grip, mature tannic structure and length; 16.5/20.