Philip Shaw tasting, Rolling Hills. And a great QPR.
I attended an interesting tasting of Rolling Hills wines recently featuring wines from Cumulus Wines in the Orange microclimate. Alcohol ranged from 13.5% to 13.9%, each with excellent balance between the firm acidity and fine fruit.
2005 Rolling Chardonnay -- Clear yellow color, clear hue, very good fruit aroma, very good flavors of peaches and citrus, firm acidity, very low oak, medium mouth feel, pleasant finish. 3*. $9.49. Wine maker notes: "Being a party girl, Chardonnay is found in many parts of our vineyard. The focus for this wine is on layers of delicious fruit and the crisp style that suits our lifestyle. This vintage has peach and melon fruit aroma balanced with toasty and vanillin oak characters. The wine has a medium structure, good weight on the mid palate with refreshing white peach flavour and nice length."
2005 Rolling Sauvignon-Semillon -- Pretty yellow color, clear hue, very pretty floral and fruit aromas and tastes, a bit of spice, more melon, firm acidity, no oak, long finish. 3*. $9.99. Wine Maker Notes: "The Sauvignon Blanc shows intense kiwi and lime fruits on the nose, while the Semillon excites the palate with lively yet delicate structure. This wine has intensity of flavour on the mid palate and a crisp lingering finish."
2005 Rolling Cabernet Merlot -- Red color, medium hue, very good fruit and spice aromas and tastes, medium mouth feel, soft tannins, good length with fruit and spice notes. 3*. $11.99.
2004 Rolling Shiraz -- Red color, medium hue, very good raspberry aromas, very good fruit and spice tastes, pleasant tannins, medium mouth feel, long finish. 3*. $12.99. Winemaker notes: "The 2004 Climbing Shiraz is well-structured, with ripe blackberry flavors accented by a note of white pepper."
2004 Climbing Shiraz -- Red color, medium hue, a very nice contrast with the Rolling Shiraz, more intense aromas and tastes but with the same pleasant tannins, a bit oaky perhaps, but in very good balance with the fruit, medium mouth feel, long finish. 3*+. $14.99. Wine maker notes: "The Climbing Shiraz from the Orange region is not one to deliver the big, sweet fruit flavors found in many warmer climate Aussies; the style, instead, resembles a more European flavor profile, which can be attributed to the cool climate balanced with the region’s continentality. This brings a clarity of fruit and earthy characters to the wine. Bright fruit on the nose and palate enhanced by natural spiciness and background oak."
These wines are awfully good at this price point, but there's a special coupon available in New Jersey, at least, that gives you $4.00 off a bottle for a case purchase, mix and match, through June 2007.
Regards, Bob
Notes: http://www.cumuluswines.com.au/ Cumulus Wines is a leading cool climate winemaker, sourcing fruit from its high altitude, single vineyard in Orange, 280 kilometres west of Sydney, Australia. World-renowned winemaker Philip Shaw and seasoned veteran Jeffrey Wilkinson have joined forces with an outstanding team of dedicated marketing and sales wine professionals around the world. Cumulus has a portfolio of unique labels and innovative brands Rolling and Climbing - all estate grown and handcrafted by Philip.
Orange, New South Wales: Initially known as the Central Highlands, the Orange region, centred on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, has long been an important orchard area producing apples, pears and cherries. An experimental viticultural station was established at nearby Molong in the 1940’s, but vines were first planted commercially in 1980.
Due to restricted opportunities for irrigation, major vineyard development has slowed since 2000 and much effort is now being put into raising the profile of the region on the national and international stage. The region is home to many small premium operators.
The climate is strongly influenced by and largely dependent on elevation. Overall, mild to warm midsummer mean temperatures, seldom rising above 32°C (90°F), are offset by cool to very cool nights during the growing season. The rainfall predominates in winter and spring while the three driest months are February, March and April, making supplementary irrigation highly desirable. Wind is both friend and foe. On the one hand it helps to reduce the major climatic threat of spring frosts, thus making a north-easterly site exposure desirable but on the other hand, interferes with fruit set on sensitive varieties such as Merlot. Other than spring frosts and climatic aberrations such as light snow in December, the major threat is from birds, relishing the extension of their diet.
The undulating countryside is not only very attractive but is of fundamental importance in determining site selection. The soils vary widely, reflecting the different geological strata of the parent rock but falling into four main groups. The first are the well drained, friable, deep red brown clays derived from basalt that are found near Mount Canobolas. Second are the deep red-brown, yellow-brown clay loams of mixed origin including volcanic ash. Both these two soil groups promote considerable vigour. The third is a red/brown podzolic clay loam of medium vigour overlying a medium clay and shale base interspersed with gravel, which assists with drainage. Finally, there are patches of terra rossa associated with visible limestone at the lower elevations. http://www.wineaustralia.com/ Australian Government site.