Dear Wine Lovers,

Welcome to 2014!  This year marks the 63rd year since Douglas Lamb (my grandfather) took the bold step of starting his own business as a vintner, after some years of study of the wine industry both here and abroad. Plenty has happened since then. With the evolution of the wine industry, a vastly different landscape presents itself today. Whilst some doors may have closed, there are opportunities now which never existed before, and the revolution in communications has brought the global wine community together in a way that could not be imagined back in 1951.  One thing is clear though: there was good wine back then and there is good wine around now. To that end, our core values haven’t changed at all since Douglas first branched out on his own.  Value, authenticity and quality, without the pomp, are the driving motivators for our family and will continue to push the business on, I hope, for at least another 63 years.

2013 was an interesting year as I was given the opportunity to take on the Douglas Lamb Wines mantle, evolve the name and revise the business. This year Douglas Lamb Wines will redefine its portfolio, gain some new agencies, and continue to nurture the relationships we have had with great wine makers for several generations.

Louis Sipp of Alsace was the first producer Douglas ever represented and remains as part of our portfolio today.  Subsequently he introduced the wines of  Lucien Crochet, Roumieu Lacoste and Domaine de Durban to the Australian palate. In 1997, my father, John Lamb, took the reins and expanded the imports, most notably in 2006, by introducing quality Greek wines from world class wineries like GAIA, Kir Yianni and Domaine Gerovassiliou.  More recently he added China’s Chateau Hansen to the portfolio. Hansen is an organic winery located in Inner Mongolia and is one of the top quality wineries poised to lead the Chinese wine industry into the global market.  I joined the business in November 2003, for the most part as a key sales person. However, my palate was indulged, and we began relationships with new producers like Foradori (Italy), Thymiopoulos (Greece), Karanika (Greece) and Andre & Michel Quenard (France).

What does all this really mean?

- There are going to be some bargains to be had over the next few weeks.

- A new slender portfolio will be launched

- Then, we get to go shopping!

There will be renewed focus, with some exciting new producers coming to complement the existing ones we have proudly grown over a lifetime in the industry.

We’re certainly excited by the prospect of good food, great wine and breaking new ground with you over the next 12 months.

Kind Regards

David Lamb ]]> http://douglaslambwines.com.au/2014/feed/ 0 http://douglaslambwines.com.au/naoussa-santorini/ http://douglaslambwines.com.au/naoussa-santorini/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 09:11:57 +0000 http://douglaslambwines.com.au/?p=872 Continued]]> So, the last seven days have flown by. Two days in Naoussa, one in Thessaloniki/Epanomi followed by three in Santorini.

A few impressions thus far:
Naoussa; Xinomavro is truly a noble Greek grape. Those who farm their own vineyards well or have access to good fruit should play with wild ferments. Some already do and some are trialling, both with excellent results. 2011 is an excellent vintage. ie; if you can’t make good wine in a vintage like this, you should probably think about changing your occupation. 2012 could potentially be the shoulder vintage that people overlook.

Santorini; amazingly, this place is more intoxicating than the post cards suggest. 70% of the vines hug the ground on the South West of the island, under the watchful gaze of the village of Pyrgos. The best dry wines are made from Assyrtiko, however the few straight Aidani’s being produced are impressive wines. Santorini does produce reds from Mandilaria & Mavrotragano to varying degrees of success, but you generally pay handsomely for the good ones.

A few vinous highlights:
2010 Karanika Brut, Blanc de noir Xinomavro. Excellent.
2011 Kir Yianni Paranga, Xinmavro blend. An entry level red from Amyndeon, superb value. In fact all the 11′s are looking great, just waiting to see the final blends.
2012 Gerovassiliou Estate White, Malagousia & Assyrtiko. A fun wine, the best vintage I’ve tried of it.
2008 Dalamara Negoska*. My first time tasting Negoska and it was impressive!
2012 Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Nature. BD, No added sulphur and immensely drinkable.
2011 Hatzidakis Aidani*. Bright, interesting wine.
2012 Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko. Great fruit with excellent mouthfeel.
Vinsanto’s from Argyros, I tried three from this estate. All excellent.

*both Dalamara & Hatzidakis are imported into Australia through Andrew Phillpot of the Press Club.

I visited Laurens Hartman & his wife wife Annette van Kampen at Domaine Karanika. Over the past 7 years they have cobbled together a patchwork of small vineyards and gone about farming organically (certified) with strong bio-dynamic principles (un-certified). The winery is small, designed by Lauren’s himself to operate using gravity at all stages of the winemaking process. He is a true minimalist, preferring not to fine or filter. His sulphur regime started at zero and has crept up to almost non existent over the past couple of years. The wines are all living wines and the quality is very good and getting better and better. I think this is an estate to watch closely, as their passion is matched by intellect and determination.

Read more about Laurens & Annette at www.karanika.com

Do Keep an eye on our blog for updates and feeds. Our full website and product list will be live in the coming weeks.

Two tickets were quickly secured and I settled back down, content. Which was roughly the moment I realised that I was double booked. My long term colleague & friend at Douglas Lamb Wines was getting married on the same day. With two tickets spare I gave them to another friend whom I thought would be equally excited. His thoughts form the real bones of this post, so I thank Aidan from Melbourne’s Europa Cellars for his generous contribution.

Enjoy!
David

“… follow me, the white rabbit, down the rabbit hole …”

Such a fitting opening from mediator Max Allen at the Wines of Wonderland tasting (as a part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2013), for this was to be an afternoon of tasting the more obscure grapes of the world and it would turn out to be a tasting I felt was truly important and one which every wine lover in Australia should have attended.
On face value the tasting could appear to be a shameless plug for Jancis Robinson’s new book Wine Grapes or the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show or merely a chance for sommeliers to geek out over Koshu from Yamanashi or Prieto Picudo from Tierra de Leon. But what unfolded was a discussion on the way we drink and perhaps indeed the way we should be drinking.

10 years ago, due mainly to a lack of availability and interest, it was enough to know the 6 ‘major’ grape varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinot Noir), but today we currently grow more than 150 grape varieties here in Australia and thanks to a constantly growing population of importers the wine landscape in Australia will never be the same.

We tasted through 5 whites; a delicate and ballerina poised Koshu from Yamanashi, a ripe stone fruit and bruised pear Petite Arvine from Valle d’Aosta, a minerally and saline Assyrtiko from Santorini, an unfortified sherry from Jerez (an ode to the wines of the past and a joint venture between Dirk Niepoort and Jesus Barquin of Navazos) and finally a truly knock out Savagnin from the “Pope of Arbois” – Jacques Puffeney.
The first bracket of 4 red wines exploded with my wine of the day; a single vineyard Mencia from vines of approximately 100 years of age from Descendientes de J Palacios, which was a truly special way to begin the reds. To follow; a sweet fruited and voluminously rich Prieto Picudo from Tierra de Leon, a bracken, twiggy and brambly fruited Teroldego from Trentino and a herbal, amaro bitter Blaufränkisch from Burgenland.
The final 3 red wines upped the structure ante with a beautiful black tea and rosehip scented Nerello Mascalese/Nerello Cappuccio blend from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, the next wine; an Aglianico from Puglia, wasn’t in the best of conditions with the wine tasting baked and flat and we finished with a Bobal from Valencia which was truly bizarre offering up aromas of lavender, tomato vine and cherry yoghurt.

“The terms noble or great need to be thrown out, just be open minded and enjoy.”
Jane Faulkner

“Good wines do not necessarily need flavour to be enjoyable, digestible or great.”
Max Allen

Tasting aside, it was these two quotes for me that summed up the vibe of the tasting, they made sense not only in the context of the tasting, but also in the way in which we should view wine in the future. You need not sweat the small stuff and try to search for 20 flavour descriptors to help understand what is in your glass, or attempt to compare the grape with another of which you are more familiar. What is important is to seek an emotional resonance between the wine in front of you and the winemaker’s devotion to it or the cultural heritage from where it originates or just with the person with whom you are sharing it.

And so it was, a Sunday afternoon descent into the wonderland of vinous treats currently being imported into Australia by those that seek to drink outside the box.
Come and join us, one and all.

Wines Tasted
2009 Grace, Hishiyama Koshu, Japan
2011 Ottin, Petite Arvine, Italy
2011 Sigalas, Santorini Assyrtiko, Greece
2010 Niepoort Navazos, Vino Blanco Palomino Fino, Spain
2007 Puffeney, Arbois Savagnin, France
2008 Descendientes de J Palacios, Moncerbal Mencia, Spain
2008 Pardevalles, Gamonal Prieto Picudo, Spain
2009 Foradori, Teroldego, Italy
2008 Moric, Reserve Blaufränkisch, Austria
2008 Biondi, Outis Etna Rosso, Italy
2008 Antica Enotria, Aglianico, Italy
2010 Mustiguillo, Mestis Bobal, Spain

So we’re more than pleased that a selection of our Greek wines have been reviewed for this years edition.

‘The 2013 Good Wine Guide is the biggest edition we’ve published, either under this or the previous Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide banner, with close to 1600 wines in the book this year.’ Nick Stock

Wines reviewed:
2010 Karanika Brut Speciale | RRP AU 55.00
100% Xinomavro (Organic – seeking certification)
2011 Antonopoulos Mantinia | RRP AU 23.00 *
100% Moschofileiro
2011 Domaine Gerovassiliou Estate White | RRP AU 34.00
Assyrtiko, Malagousia
2011 Gaia 14-18h Rose | RRP AU 24.00
100% Agiorgitiko
2008 Gaia ‘S’ | RRP AU 48.00
Agiorgitiko, Syrah
2008 Kir Yianni Estate Red Blend | RRP AU 38.00
Merlot, Xinomavro

*Our calculations actually have this sitting at around $28 per bottle RRP.

The biggest win in my mind is that the average person was presented with an impressive range of styles from the technically faulty (if you wish to take it there) all the way to the super clean and everywhere in-between. Drinkability was the key, appreciating that some bitterness here, a touch of phenolic grip there may add to the overall enjoyment and that the most important question to ask after analysing a wine to death is ‘do I like it?’

Another win, was the awesome representation of Australian wineries & while they didn’t necessarily have to travel as far as some of the other exhibitors, they gave everyone an insight into the new wave of Australian wines. The wines we often read about but rarely get the chance to taste and they certainly left a real impression.

Judging by the crowd, it closed the gap between wine dork & the all important wine drinker. I’d like to think that we even gained a few non-wine drinkers to the fray. So lets celebrate diversity in wine, not just in the soils but in the drinking culture. I’m already looking forward to Rootstock 2014.

What was I doing there? I was flying the flag for Thymiopoulos Vineyards a small, family run estate located in Naoussa, Greece. Their pure fruited Xinomavro’s have set a new benchmark in this much lauded region.

USA
2011 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay [Monterey]
100% Chardonnay
2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Zinfandel [California]
76% Zinfandel, 24% Petite Sirah
2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret [Monterey]
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
2010 Francis Coppola Directors Cut Cabernet Sauvignon [Alexander Valley]
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot,1% Cabernet Franc

ITALY
2009 Foradori Teroldego [Trentino]
100% Teroldego (available in 1/2 bottles)
2011 Bellenda ‘San Fermo’ Brut Conegliano-Valdobbiadene [Veneto]
100% Prosecco