If you are somehow unfamiliar with David Baker’s easy demeanor and iconic whiskies, then you are seriously missing out. Bakery Hill emerged in 2004 as one of the cutting edge producers of Australian whisky. Indeed, David has been at the forefront of educating, informing and generally wetting the palates of ‘dramheads’ across the country for many years now.

Join us for a free tasting of Bakery Hill with the owner and distiller himself, David Baker. This is a great opportunity to meet one of the leading lights in Australian whisky production. He will be showcasing his ‘Classsic’, ‘Double wood’ and ‘Peated’ expressions.

For a detailed look at Bakery Hill, follow Joel’s excursion to the distillery…

Bakery Hill Classic Malt, 46% abv
“…easily the most stylish Australian malt I have found.’  Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2004.

A fragrant style of whisky akin to a citrusy Speyside. The American oak offers complexity on the nose with sweet, layered elements of baked apples, pear drops, spiced honey, a hint of cider and vanilla custard. The palate builds in intensity offering ginger, lightly prickly oak and a myriad of spices including cinnamon and nutmeg. The finish is complex and drying with a leathery aftertaste. BUY ONLINE

Bakery Hill Peated Malt, 46% abv
Lightly peated, this whisky has a profile more akin to a full-bodied Speyside rather than a salty Islay. The nose offers a restrained peaty expression with layered earthy tones that seamlessly blends with an old leather character. The nose also displays some lighter notes of butter, boiled lollies and fruit tarts. The palate unveils the broader earthy peat layers, complimenting tobacco elements to give understated depth. A long and complex finish showcases the masterful use of peat. BUY ONLINE

Bakery Hill Double Wood Malt, 46% abv
This example has been matured in American oak ex bourbon casks and finished in French oak, imparting a well-rounded complexity seen in few single barrel malts. The colour is a burnished bronze that offers a glimpse at the smooth yet deep nature of this whisky. A feminine style of whisky that is elegant and poised whilst still full and complete. It reveals a nose of dried apricots, coconut, golden syrup, fruitcake and a hint of cloves. There is an underlying sweetness to the palate which unveils orange marmalade and nougat nuances. The subtle oak influence compliments the dried fruit characters, drawing them into a long and lingering finish. BUY ONLINE

Ever wanted to compare the subtle differences between Armagnac, Cognac & Calvados?

Join us and specialist distributers Cerbeco, as we taste the difference between some of France’s most distinguished spirits. We’ll have a bracket each of Armagnacs, Cognacs as well as Calvados.  Each more amazing than the last…

We’ll be tasting:

Paul Girould VSOP 8 year old Cognac
Francois Voyer XO 25 year old Cognac

1985 Delord Armagnac
Darroze 8 Year Old Armagnac
Plus a surprise 40 year old Vintage Armagnac

Adrian Gamut 6 year old Calvados Pays d’Auge
2000 Victor Gontier Calvados Donfrontais

These digestifs will be matched with soft cheese and chocolate… yum.

When: Wednesday 18th April 2012
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Price: $50 ($40 for our members)
Contact: events@oakbarrel.com.au or call 02 9264 3022

Through the undulating hills of Adelaide and up a dirt track lies one of the true hidden secrets of this mysterious wine region.  A single, modest sign announces this humble producer only a few kilometers from the largely unknown town of Gumeracha. Protero is the winery name and soulful quality is the game…

The cellar door itself could easily be confused for the local fresh produce market with crates upon crates of quality produce neatly stacked within the pristine iron clad shed. An unassuming Frank greets me at the door with a disarmingly charming flash of pearly whites. Frank and his wife Rosemary bought this property to grow fresh produce and as a way of fostering a ‘quiet’ retirement, yet his lifestyle is anything but. Frank’s care and meticulously kept vineyards and grounds are apparent even from a distance. He is one of those rare vignerons who has a unique affinity with the land. All his produce (including his wine) is 100% organic/ biodynamic and the sheer quality of the fruit shines in the final wines. This is wine of true rustic soul, the effortless polish of the wines leaving me gobsmacked.

Protero Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills (Gumeracha), 2007
An unoaked example of a modern Chardonnay, this wine is generous in ways that other examples of unoaked chardonnay can only contemplate. Round and offering but with some balancing acid throughout, aromas of ripe stone fruit, nashi pear, melon and minerals build in the glass. The palate is creamy, with some clean purity but without the tautness one could expect. A very ‘now’ wine that shows what unoaked chardonnay is all about.

Protero Merlot, Adelaide Hills (Gumeracha), 2006
A rare example of 100% Merlot as most Merlots on the market contain a smattering of cabernet for structure. This is an enchanting wine that is honest and giving. Aromas of spicy earth, wild blackberry jam, violets and undergrowth burst forth. The palate is unctuously round and velvety with a complex charm. Unfiltered and unfined, this is the sort of Merlot that converts the non-drinkers of this variety.

BUY ONLINE!

Join Graham Nicolson, Brand Ambassador for the Tomatin Distillery as he launches tomatin Highland Malts and their premium blend, Antiquary into Australia.

Established in 1897, Tomatin distillery has a long and distinguished heritage of producing malt whisky. It is located in the Monadhliath Mountains just south of Inverness, capital of the Highlands of Scotland.  The soft waters of the Alt-na-Frith which run clear and pure through the Monadhliath Mountains help to create a Highland Malt with delicate flavours, yet a rich and mellow style. Its undoubted quality and consistency make for a truly fine dram.

Graham Nicolson, Global Brand Ambassador

Join us as we taste the following whiskies:

• Tomatin 12 year old
• Tomatin 15 year old
• Tomatin 18 year old
• Tomatin 40 year old: An exceptional vatting of seven oak hogsheads, chosen by the Distillery Manager for outstanding quality. This is a limited edition of 1614 bottles (RRP $950)
• Antiquary 12 year old
• Antiquary Blended Scotch

When: Tuesday 28th February, 2012
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: $40 ($30 for Members)
Bookings: 02 9264 3022 or email events@oakbarrel.com.au

Orange is the highest wine region in Australia with vines extending from 600m to 1,100 meters. The extinct volcano Mt Canobolas dominates the region and is responsible for much of the soil composition.

The region is a true cool climate with snow and frost in the winter, golden autumns and sunshine in summer. Rainfall is good during the growing season and the multitude of hills and aspects show good potential for the development of different terroirs.

There are a number of potential sub-regions and climates in Orange. The main difference is that of altitude. The higher the altitude the cooler the vineyard with higher sites focusing primarily on cooler varieties such as Pinot Noir and aromatic whites. As you move lower grapes such as Cabernet, Chardonnay and Merlot can ripen fully. The vineyards below 800 meters are in many ways quite different to the central vineyards being much warmer; here Shiraz is able to ripen regularly.

The Wines
Here is a selection of some of my recent favourites…

Brangayne ‘Tristan’ Cabernet Blend 2009
(Received Top Gold as the best red blend in the 2011 Boutique Wine Awards) 

Brangayne Shiraz 2007
(94 Points – James Halliday)

Cargo Road Zinfandel 2009
(Big, rich and juicy)

Canobolas-Smith Cabernets 1991
(Only a few bottles left)

Once just a large picnic area for bored Melbournian’s, Mornington has well and truly established itself as a premium wine region. While a number of varieties are grown on the peninsula it is the Burgundian double act of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that are the regions clear specialties.

Click here to read an article on Mornington…. 

While there are plenty of established names and bigbrands in Mornington, what really makes the region interesting are the small producers. The region seems to be able to produce a plethora of small family estates and funky garage wines (probably due to all those bored Melbournians).

So to celebrate this fact we are putting on a tasting! Join us for a relaxed evening as we taste a selection of high quality, delicious and above all interesting wines from this so often talked about region.

Wines on taste (more to follow):

Hurley Vineyards
Lodestone Single Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘08
Hommage Single Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘08
Hommage Single Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘09
Garramond Single Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘09

Allies Wines
Allies Pinot Noir ’10

The Cups Estate
Pinot Noir ’06
Raimondo Reserve Pinot Noir ’06
Chardonnay ’08

Paradigm Hill
Pinot Noir ‘L’ami Sage’ ’07
Pinot Noir ‘L’ami Sage’ ’06

Date: Thursday March 15th, 2012
Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Where: The Oak Barrel Cellar Room
Price: $30 ($20 for members)
Bookings: 02 9264 3022 or via email at events@oakbarrel.com.au

The 15 acres of vines are subject to intensive management being, hand pruned and leaf-plucked as required to produce intense premium cool climate fruit for great wines.

The varieties produced are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Our favourite is the 7 year old  2006 Pinot Noir. It still has the freshness of ripe cherry and strawberry fruit of a young wine but with some forest floor characters. The palate is full bodied with intense fruit flavours and soft lingering tannins which give a velvety smooth finish.

Too easy to drink on a Sunday afternoon with seared salmon, smoked duck and chicken salads. Yummy. BUY ONLINE TODAY…

I used to think of McLaren Vale as an amorphous wine growing area by the sea south of Adelaide where just about any grape variety could be grown, maybe with the exception of pinot noir.

In fact the wine makers of McLaren Vale have divided the region into 5 subregions with differing climate, soil types and native vegetation.

The following description was supplied by the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association.

Blewitt Springs / Clarendon Named after the townships of Blewitt Springs and Clarendon. This sub-region is the furthest from the sea and has the highest altitude, most rain and coolest winters. Blewitt Springs is characterized by deep sandy soils.

Seaview The steep hills of North Eastern McLaren Vale are referred to as Seaview.  The soils in this region are highly variable from red earth clay on limestone and sand on marly limestone to grey loam on clay. The common factor is the thin layer of topsoil, resulting frequently in low yields and low vigour. Hill tops in the Seaview sub-region experience warm nights and cool afternoon sea breezes while valleys experience cold air drainage off the range as it flows towards the sea at night.

Willunga South from the township of McLaren Vale, the hills flatten to a gentle slope heading toward the sea. This area is known as the Willunga Flats. The soils in this area are Gilgai or grey clay over limestone with pockets of red earth on limestone. The cold air drains across the flats to the sea.

McLaren Flat As the name suggests, McLaren Flat is the sprawling flat land to the east of the town of McLaren Vale. The area has more clay above the subsoil than McLaren Vale, however there are some patches of sand similar to that found in Blewitt Springs.  During the summer months, the ‘gully wind’ flows down from the high hills further to the east, helping to cool the fruit.

McLaren Vale The township of McLaren Vale is the traditional home of grape growing and winemaking in the district. Many of the vineyards of the early pioneers were situated where the town itself now stands. Several historic wineries are located in the main street itself including Tatachilla and Thomas Hardy’s Tintara. Many of the roads in the town are named after the original winemaking families.

The town is nestled between two rows of low hills consisting of ironstone and chalky rock with a thin covering of clay loam. The soil is rich in calcium and is slightly alkaline where the soil meets the parent rock.

Sellicks Foothills  Sellicks is the farthest point south of the region directly overlooking the ocean beaches. The foothills extend the length of the base of the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges. The strip of soil here, mostly red loam has been eroded from the ranges. The shallow root zone, conducive to small grape crops, becomes progressively thin in vineyards planted on the hills.  Strong evening gully breezes during summer characterise the area.

Well to answer the original question I would definitely say “yes”. The similarities are very pronounced in the top tier Shiraz from this group of makers despite their Shiraz coming from many of the different subregions. The Oak Barrel has a great selection of current vintage and back vintage McLaren Vale Shiraz

Tasting the 2006 Shiraz in a line up of ten different wines, all had a silky, velvety smoothness in the mid palate which gives a high degree of drinking pleasure. I think this is a combination of plush fruit, fine tanins and very correct balancing acidity.

The McLaren Vale wines do develop a higher acidity than Barossa due to the moderating effect of the sea that helps maintain a cooler ripening period for the grapes. For the best value Shiraz of this area see our selection of Hewitson  “L’Oizeau” and “Mad Hatter” Shiraz.

The Shiraz is not overblown fruit bombs as is seen in shiraz from other warmer areas. They are fruit driven but with a leaner elegance.

Well, move over preconceptions because here is a French sweetie that will soothe your palate and your expensive tastes:

Chateau Raymond-Lafon Sauternes 2005
An estate with a long history, Chateau Raymond-Lafon is one of the anomalies of the sauternes appellation and accordingly has become an underrated cult producer. A mere 5 years old when the 1855 Classification occurred, this Chateau is still to this day unclassified. Taken over in 1972 by the Meslier Family, Lafon was in a state of neglect and in great need of love and care.  At the time Pierre Meslier was manager of D’Yquem, eventually resigning at his post to focus on the rescue of Raymond-Lafon. Pierre transferred a number of winemaking and viticultural techniques learnt at D’Yquem, which has been the source of much controversy in years gone by.

Robert Parker, writing in Bordeaux: A Comprehensive Guide (Dorling Kindersley, 3rd edition, 1998) describes the wines as: ”close to the brilliance and majestic richness of Yquem for less than one-third the price“.

A warm vintage, Pierre Meslier describes this wine as ‘big.’ A appealingly ripe nose with precise aromas that are fine and fresh. This wine offers white nectarine, honey and waxy citrus. The palate is broad and expansive, with generous weight but an elegant tightness that will unfurl given maturation. Voluptuous, the palate offers more sweet toned stone fruits, honey, vanilla, cocunut and a seem of bright citrus. A bright acid core extends and enlivens the palate. A rich and giving wine for immediate consumption or patient cellaring. Buy online NOW…