FROM THE ASHES
The Islander Estate Vineyards on Kangaroo Island was one of many Australian wineries to be severely impacted by the bushfires over summer. But as James Halliday writes, they are determined to rise again.
2017 Banks Road Will’s Selection Bellarine Peninsula Pinot Noir,
A best-barrel selection with an extra 6 months maturation in 50% new French oak. Riddled with spices on the vibrant bouquet and extra-long palate. It is woven with fine, gently savoury tannins and countervailing lush fruits, the ’17 vintage also in on the act. 13.6% alc. Drink to 2030.
2017 Twelftree Moritz Road
Blewitt Springs Grenache,
Hand-picked from dry-grown bush vines, destemmed, not crushed, wild-fermented with 15% whole bunches, 13 days on skins, light pressings. An utterly delicious grenache with only one problem: the total production was 50 dozen. Supple, fine, silky – tastes more like 13.5% alcohol thanks to its band of red fruits. 14.5% alc. Drink to 2032. 2017 Yangarra Estate Vineyard
High Sands McLaren Vale Grenache,
From Block 31, the highest elevation at
210m, with the deepest sand. Hand-picked, mechanically sorted, 50% whole berries, openfermented, 21 days on skins, 11 months on lees in French oak. A rainbow of aromas, leading me to abort my first mental description because I’d already run out of breath. 14% alc. Drink to 2047. 2018 Clonakilla O’Riada Canberra District Shiraz,
A wild ride in the vineyard with a hailstorm reducing an already small drought-affected crop. From this point through to the harvest, the weather was perfect. So is the colour, deep but crystal clear, the palate a tiara of spices and cracked pepper, the fruit supple and precisely balanced by oak and tannins. 14.5% alc. Drink to 2040. 2017 Max & Me Boongarrie Vineyard Whole Bunch Eden Valley Syrah, Hand-picked in the first flush of berry ripeness, allowing 30% whole bunch inclusion in small open fermenters and pigeage for maceration, 10 days on skins, pressed to old French puncheons for 12 months, 140 dozen made. The Max & Me wines all have a touch of magic, this a bit extra as the fruit flavours float above the tannin and oak components. 14.3% alc. Drink to 2042.
2017 Houghton Wisdom Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon,
Houghton clone, part Selectiv’-harvested, part hand-picked and sorted, destemmed whole berries wild yeast-open fermented, 10 days on skins, matured for 13 months in French oak (33% new). Fragrant bouquet, fruit, oak and tannins all building a very, very impressive picture. Margaret River’s cabernet climate is second to none. 14% alc. Drink to 2037. 2016 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon,
After berry sorting, cold soak and maceration, pumping over three times daily, the wine is pumped to French barriques for mlf and 9 months' maturation. The Art Series range has a clear family approach to each wine, a focus and sophistication that brings certainty to its long-term maturity. 13.5% alc. Drink to 2036. 2017 Deep Woods Estate Yallingup
Grand Selection Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon,
Spent 14 days on skins, then straight to barrel (60% new) for 19 months' maturation, then a selection of the best barrels. A very expressive and fragrant bouquet sets the hares running for this intense wine sourced from the selfdescribed jewel in Deep Woods’s crown.
This is a super-elegant and pure expression of cabernet with a virtually indefinite future. 14% alc. Drink to 2057. 2019 Hayes Family Vineyard Series Primrose Vineyard Barossa Valley Mataro,
Sourced from a tiny patch of bush vines drygrown on the Schulz Vineyard in Ebenezer. An extremely powerful, full-bodied wine that manages to also have a juicy lift and a mix of spicy/earthy tannins. Mataro seldom scales the heights, exemplified by this wine in ’19. 14% alc. Drink to 2049.
It’s definitely the one that’s going to empty my own wallet the most. It has more wines under $20 than usual, and their general standard is up, too.
You’d have to imagine it’s yet another example of Australia’s growing vineyard maturity – the massive planting boom of the 1990s is now paying off in spades – but it might just be good luck.
Everyone loves a bargain, but what’s really exciting about this year’s under-$30s is the number of traditional, hearty cabernet and/or shiraz-based wines that are in excellent form. No matter how you cut and dice the Australian landscape, or how on-trend you choose to be, these grape varieties are stalwarts for good reason. We’ve also been singing the praises of grenache for a good while now, but for a variety that was used and abused for more than a century, we sure are now putting things to rights. Another observation here is the number of wines that would be right at home in the sleekest bars in the country, but that also happen to be exceptionally well-priced. Pretty, polished wines in pretty, polished packaging, yet still affordable #notcomplaining.
And finally, sangiovese. It’s time to rediscover it.
2018 Majella The Musician
Cabernet Shiraz,
Don’t tell them, but the folks at Majella have forgotten to adjust the price-tag on this for many years now. Meanwhile, the quality remains high. Red wine doesn’t have to be big or powerful to taste just right, and this is proof. It pours curranty flavour effortlessly through the palate; it’s steady and reliable and yet fresh-faced, too. 2018 Kingston Estate
Cabernet Sauvignon,
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: cabernet is the value king. This Clare Valley version floods your mouth with blackberried flavour and then gives it an extra push via chocolate and sweet spice notes. It’s uncomplicated in a good way. It rolls up its sleeves and gets down to the noble art of delivering pleasure. 2018 Alkoomi White Label Shiraz,
What you get here is an unreasonable amount of dark fruit flavour for the asking price. Wimpy this wine most certainly is not. It’s full-bodied, juicy, plum-shot and ready to rip. The Black Label version ($28) is tip-top, too. Alkoomi shiraz has its value guns blazing. 2019 Woods Crampton
Take it to the Grave Grenache,
Aussie grenache has gone from the forgotten child to the crowd favourite over the past decade. There’s a lot of seriously good grenache around now; if you’re not drinking it, you should be. This is a bouncy, energetic, sweet-fruited version offering life and charm in spades. 2018 Wirra Wirra Church Block,
Some wines are ever-popular for a reason. This is the ultimate please-the-crowd wine. It tastes of ripe plum, vanilla-cream and chocolate, and it’s boisterous with juicy flavour. One sip and you’re on your way – you know you’re onto a good one. Just enough weight, just enough texture, just enough of everything. 2019 Rochford Latitude Pinot Noir,
It has you at hello. It’s hard to believe that we get a pinot noir of this quality at this price. It has structure, it has perfume, it has varietal fruit flavour and it squeezes out impressively on the finish. 2018 Quarisa Johnny Q Shiraz,
This is one of those wines that simply jumps from the glass. You open it and straight away you know you’re in for some fun. And that’s not just because it’s high in alcohol (15%). It’s bursting with blackberried flavour, coated in creamy/coffeed oak, and substantial all the way through. 2018 Yarran Shiraz,
Shiraz grapes were sourced from various regions (Heathcote, Hilltops and Bendigo) and the result was more than worth the effort. In fact, it’s ripping value. It’s not about power, though it has enough of that; it’s about balance and mouthfeel. You drink it, it feels and tastes good, and you want more.
2018 Thomas Wines Synergy Shiraz,
If it’s been a while since you’ve tucked into a Hunter Valley shiraz, here’s the wine to bring you back. This puts on a great show of flavour and all the while keeps its regional heart intact. Deep purple colour, deep purple flavour, a spread to the tannin and to the finish. Super value. 2018 Hesketh Ebenezer Grenache,
I almost wondered whether they’d marked the price wrong. This is Barossa Valley grenache from a specific subregion with all the style and flavour you could want. This is my tasting note: ‘The flavours slip through the wine in sheets’. It’s dry, tense and openly delicious all at once. 2019 Greenstone Gusto Sangiovese, Sangiovese rides again. The talk has died down over this variety in Australia, but this Heathcote version shows we’ve come a hell of a long way. Sangiovese can indeed thrive here. Cherried fruit, a smattering of leaf notes, a dry spice aspect to the tannin. In short, it’s a terrific wine to drink. 2017 Woodstock Deep Sands Shiraz,
A perfect red for a cold night. Deep-flavoured, warm-hearted, generally well balanced and solid all over. Liquorice and dark chocolate, tar and blackberry flavours. In short, hearty McLaren Vale shiraz at a snip of a price. 2018 Bull Lane Shiraz,
Give it to me loud, okay? In some ways, this simply delivers flavour and lots of it, but then it also carries a sense of measure and balance. It’s neat, bold, vibrant and rich all at once; no mean feat. 2019 Oakridge Meunier,
It’s the pinot you drink when you’re not drinking pinot. This varietal pinot meunier from the Yarra Valley has been a major success in recent years, and the good form is well and truly continued here. It’s a light, strict and structural wine with herb notes woven into its tangy, berried heart. Autumnal is the word.
If it was a person, it would be a foodie. 2018 John Duval Wines Concilio Grenache Shiraz,
Grown mostly on 80-year-old Barossa bush vines, this grenache somehow manages to combine both depth and freshness; it seems frisky even as it delivers bold flavour. Cracks of earth, smoked meat and red berry flavours drill impressively through the palate. The whole John Duval range is in fantastic form and this is the best value of them. 2017 Salomon Estate V Syrah,
This just sneaks in under $30, but put the price at $60 and no one would bat an eyelid. It’s a gorgeous, gorgeous red wine, ripped with perfume and flavour, sweet spice and more. Hedonistic, almost. Indeed it’s a ‘sit there and marvel’ kind of wine. You pour yourself a glass and it all comes gushing at you in the best of possible ways. 2017 Vasse Felix Filius
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Margaret River cabernet sauvignon from a champion producer and in fine form to boot, all for under $28. This is the best wine released under this label so far. It’s ‘only’ medium-bodied, but it’s pure and long, and will age a treat. Personally, I would buy this in a heartbeat. 2019 De Bortoli The Estate Vineyard Gamay,
De Bortoli is going big on gamay and it’s easy to taste why. Indeed they are replanting sizeable flanks of ex-pinot noir vineyard to this variety. This release is fresh, lively, different-in-a-goodway, mouthwatering and delicious. It makes savouriness look easy and pushes fruitiness straight through it. It’s a perfumed red and a crunchy one. It shines at the dining table. 2018 Forest Hill Vineyard
Highbury Fields Shiraz,
It’s matured in all-French oak and it lays fruit flavour on aplenty. You get a whole lot for your cash outlay here. Plum and blackberry flavours do all the heavy lifting, though oak tips just enough in to give it a seductive feel. Shop around and make hay. 2019 Coulter C2 Sangiovese,
It’s fast becoming apparent that Coulter is a special producer. Every wine seems as suave in the tasting as it is in the packaging. This is sangiovese from a sole vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. It boasts everything this grape variety is famous for. It has red-berried flavour, tannin and texture, but it’s also crunchy and bright. You might even call it mouthwatering. Polished is what it mostly seems, inside and out. 2019 Longview Fresco Red,
So many things to like about this wine. It’s made with nebbiolo, pinot nero, sangiovese and barbera, and it’s as fresh as it is raring to go. The thing is that it’s lively with fruit, beautifully perfumed, includes clear nebbiolo character and yet is just so downright moreish. This is a blend that’s been done with purpose rather than for convenience. It’s a top-notch modern magic red.
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE for anyone who had visited Kangaroo Island before summer’s appalling bushfires not to be devastated looking at before and after photographs of such a beautiful place. My first visit was as a tourist more than 30 years ago, and I was bewitched by the diversity of the beauty of the coastal areas, the marine and terrestrial wildlife, native flowers, and vegetation of the inland. All this, and a sense of awe as you came face to face with the sheer size of the island.
My return visits were all wine related, in particular, to The Islander Estate Vineyards, established in 2000 by Jacques Lurton, a member of a distinguished Bordeaux wine family. After graduating from Bordeaux University’s Institute of Oenology in 1983, he flew the nest, arriving in Australia, first working at McWilliam’s in Griffith before finding salvation at Petaluma, becoming a lifelong friend of Martin Shaw and Brian Croser. In 1985, he returned to Bordeaux, but came back each year for short periods as his flying winemaker role started to blossom. In 1988 and 1989, he and Martin Shaw joined forces to create Hardy’s Domaine de la Baume in Languedoc in the south of France. By 1991 he was consulting and/or making wine in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Moldova, Spain, Italy and France, as well as Australia. In 1993, he was appointed production consultant for Vina San Pedro in Chile, overseeing growth from 600,000 cases in 1994 to three million cases in 2000. In 1995, his brother Francois left the family business, joining Jacques to form JFL Advisory, setting a hectic pace of joint venture or outright ownership of new wine businesses (vineyards and wineries). A small part of his business interests was the sale of corks; in those days, Australia was a large purchaser, which meant at least one trip a year. So it was that in 1999 he visited Kangaroo Island for the first time. After consulting with his wife, he flew to the island with David Paxton, this time receiving consulting advice, not dispensing it; Paxton being one of the most experienced soil/viticultural experts in Australia.
Five months of hole-digging and discussions with locals led to the acquisition of a 280ha property in the Kohinoor Hills district, and the close-planting of 10ha of shiraz, grenache, cabernet franc, sangiovese, malbec, semillon and viognier, variously trained as bush vines, or tied to a single stake on a conventional trellis, setting the scene for years of experiments.
The same ethos reigned in the winery, most obviously in the fermenters. These had been made to order by a Burgundian family whose core business (with a 100-year history) was the making of concrete burial crypts, but had extended to fermenters at the request of a local winery. The unique features are walls 300mm thick, leading to thermal insulation, and fine yet dense concrete. The secret lies in the use of purified water and highly refined concrete mixture. They have the usual array of stainless steel fittings, and come in two sizes: ‘three people’ or ‘six people’ are the descriptors.
Their location in a winery far from passing cars poses other questions. Why such a large property? And why have the winery so far from passing traffic? As Jacques says, it was important to buy a large property. “The beauty of the island should be the first impression when you enter. After all, a vineyard is a vineyard, a winery is a winery.”
In 2012, Colorado pair Yale and Maren Norris fell under the spell of Kangaroo Island. In the late ’90s, they operated a wholesale tour business, selling tours to Australia and the Pacific, and became aware of Kangaroo Island. They sold the business in 2011, and moved to the island in 2012, Yale becoming full-time manager of The Islander Estate, buying a share of the business in 2015. When I last visited, he said, “We think it’s about as close to paradise as you can get.” But it was a case of paradise lost in January.
The first fires started by dry lightning strikes in mid-December, but were contained. Then on January 3, storms created fires on the western end of the island and the very large Flinders Chase National Park. Then, January 10 brought strong winds fanning existing fires and a firestorm that roared east and north, taking almost half of the island. This blaze, fuelled by nearby commercial pine plantations and the Pandana Conservation Area adjacent to The Islander Estate’s property, took everything in its wake: the vines, posts, irrigation dripper line, foliage wires, offices, wine lab, housing water sources and sheds. The winery was saved by sacrificing all other buildings to the fire. The destruction also claimed 150ha of cropping land leased to a local farmer, and 80ha of pristine remnant native bush. The winery held all of the wine maturing in tanks, vats and barrels, and all bottled wine.
The Herculean task of clearing the moonscape of twisted metal and remnants of wood and fallen trees might have broken the will of Jacques and Yale if not for the assistance and support from all quarters, official and unofficial, including friends, neighbours, volunteers and total strangers. Team Rubicon Australia, an international disaster non-profit organisation, provided physical and organisational back-up in the first days. It undertook tree felling and heavy clean-up work while the winery team was, as they say, still in shock. BlazeAid and its volunteers helped re-establish fencing at the Estate and across the entire island.
During this period, Yale and Jacques were joined by winemakers from the mainland in planning the way forward. Mike Brown headed the team from McLaren Vale’s Gemtree Wines, Toby Bekkers (who was involved in the original vineyard planting) of the eponymous Bekkers Wines, and Martin Shaw led the Shaw + Smith team – a five red-star gathering if ever there was one.
Jacques and Yale are committed to bringing The Islander Estate back to what it was. Covid-19 restrictions have meant the cellar door has only been open two days a week for takeaways and produce, but the full wine range is available online.
Half the island’s land was not affected, and its amazing aquatic life of penguins, seals and walruses attest to the fact that the Southern Ocean has no other land falls as you travel south and reach the Antarctic. Kangaroo Island’s isolation has so far kept Covid-19 off the island. The Jobkeeper program has helped, and grants from the South Australian government have kept a sense of purpose alive. At the time of print, South Australia was loosening some controls, and the prospect of some tourist income is gaining weight. The paradox is the high percentage of aged residents on the island, and limited medical resources to deal with any Covid-19 outbreak. The famous Malcolm Fraser dictum that life wasn’t meant to be easy rings with clarity in this phoenix.