Douglas Lamb Wines » 2013 » February

Good Wine Guide 2013

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 02:55:41 +0000

Fairfax media have done a fair bit of streamlining over the past couple of years as it works hard to remain at the forefront in a rapidly evolving internet age. One of the results has been the consolidation of it’s food & wine publications under the good food banner. They are responsible for the good food guide, good cafe guide, good pub guide and the most exciting one [for us] the good wine guide. It has been written & curated by Nick Stock who is one of Australia’s most prolific writers, his style is both entertaining & succinct.

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.

Rootstock Sydney 2013

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:25:26 +0000

Watching an industry come together is an inspiring sight and this is exactly what happened with the inaugural Rootstock Festival last week. It was pitched as a sustainable & artisan wine & food festival, some were calling it a ‘natural’ wine fair which can polarise many with it’s linguistic connotations. However Rootstock was far from a niche group of radicals bandying together, but far more importantly a diverse cross section of an industry all of whom hold sustainability and quality as guiding lights to their business. This alone added depth & texture to the day, both literally and metaphorically.

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.

New Releases – January 2013

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:10:03 +0000

CHINA
2011 Hansen Cabernet Gernischt [Inner-Mongolia]
100% Cabernet Gernischt (certified organic)
2009 Hansen Cȏtes du Fleuve Jaune du désert de Gobi [Inner-Mongolia]
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt, Cabernet Franc, Merlot (certified organic)

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

New Releases – December 2012

admin — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:20:12 +0000

FRANCE
2010 Château de Moncontour Vouvray Brut Téte de Cuvée
100% Chenin Blanc
NV les Quinze Arpents Vouvray Brut
100% Chenin Blanc
2010 Louis Sipp Pinot Blanc ‘Ribeauville’ [Alsace]
Pinot Blanc (certified organic)
2011 Château Bonnet Entre Deux Mers [Bordeaux]
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle
2011 Domaine de Chevilly Quincy [Loire]
100% Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Lucien Crochet Sancerre AOC [Loire]
100% Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Lucien Crochet Sancerre ‘Le Chene Marchand’ [Loire]
100% Sauvignon Blanc
2011 Domaine de la Citadelle Châtaigner red [Luberon]
45% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 10% Carignan, Cinsault and friends
2009 Château du Courlat Lussac-St-Emilion [Bordeaux]
80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (planted on the Estate)
2009 Château Liversan Haut-Medoc [Bordeaux]
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot (planted on the Estate)
2009 Château Patache d’Aux Medoc [Bordeaux]
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. (planted on the Estate)

SPAIN
2009 Castillo di Jumilla Crianza [Jumilla]
90% Monastrell, 10% Tempranillo
2010 Arbucala Escensia Joven [Toro]
100% Tempranillo
2009 Arbucala Escensia Barrica [Toro]
100% Tempranillo
2010 Jaspi Negre [Monsant]
40% Grenache, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carinena, 10% Tempranillo
NV Canals Nadal Cava Brut [Penedes]
40% Macabeu, 40% Xarello, 20% Parellada