Vol. 5 No. 2
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
Plantagenet "Omrah" Shiraz 1999 - Australia
Chateau Coucheroy Pessac -Leognan Graves 2000 - France
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
Fattoriale Terrazze Rosso Conero 1999 - Italy
White Wines Only Featured Selections
Tahbilk Marsanne 1999 - Australia
Plantagenet “Omrah” Shiraz 1999 – Australia
Plantagenet wines are some of the most sought after high-profile wines in Australia. In fact, over the past three decades this winery has developed something of a cult following, Plantagenet makes a bevy of stylish, elegant, structured wines that exhibit complexity, balance and finesse. All Plantagenet wines are estate bottled with grapes grown on only 200 acres of a sprawling 8,000 acre property. The Plantagenet winery is located in the Mount Barker region in the very southwestern corner of Australia.
Plantagenet has the distinction of being the first winery in the Mount Barker region and the first winery in the area to produce a commercial wine under its own label. The original vineyards were planted in 1968 by jackaroo – turned viticulturalist Tony Smith. Shortly after emigrating from England, Tony purchased 8,000 acres, thinking the property would be ideal for sheep and cattle raising as well as grape growing. Some 33 years later, he still maintains livestock, but happily Tony chose to dedicate the best part of this great estate to viticulture and winemaking. All Plantagenet’s wines are estate bottled by Gavin Berry, a Roseworthy (Australia’s most renowned school of oenology and viticulture) graduate and Plantagenet’s winemaker since 1988.
The Plantagenet name is derived from the ancient Royal Family of England (Richard the Lion Hearted, el al) who ruled England and a good part of France in the 12th century. Geoffrey Duc d’Anjou was nicknamed Plantagenet because he wore a sprig of broom (Planta Genista) in his helmet whenever he went into battle. When the first settlers came to the area near Mont Barker, they found a similar broom plant and named the shire Plantagenet.
The Plantagenet Vineyard is located some miles inland and approximately 1,000 feet above the gleaming Indian Ocean. This area around Mount Barker is generally cooler than Margaret River, its more famous neighbor to the north. In fact, the Mount Barker region closely resembles Bordeaux in climate, with a predominantly winter rainfall, warm summers, and cool nights. The vineyards see little rainfall in the spring which helps prevent mildew and cuts down considerably on the need to spray. Such fine growing conditions also help maintain a crisp fruit balance in white varietals and produce spicy, elegance in the red wines. A fine array of grape varieties grow well in the Mount Barker area, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet and early ripening Shiraz.
In addition to Plantagenet’s two Mount Barker Estate bottled wines, Chardonnay and Shiraz, Gavin Berry also produces three premium wines at Plantagenet under the “Omrah” label. The philosophy behind Omrah is to produce a consistent range of fine wines from year to year, emphasizing fresh and vibrant varietal character, full ripe fruit and balanced acidity. In order to produce such wines in Australia, or almost anywhere for that matter, grapes grown in varying microclimates are necessary. Consequently, the grapes from Omrah come from Plantagenet’s cool climate estate vineyards and from select warmer area vineyards, usually in South Australia.
Omrah whites are made with no oak, so as not to interfere with the wine’s fresh fruit flavors. Omrah Chardonnay is, in fact, the very first unwooded Chardonnay ever produced in Western Australia. Conversely, the Omrah Shiraz is barrel aged for at least 12 months in a combination of French and American barriques, underscoring the ability of Shiraz to absorb oak, without stunting the flavor of the varietal. Employing both French and American barrels simply adds complexity and dimension to this estate’s flagship varietal. A delicious Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend is also produced under the Omrah label.
Tasting Notes: Bedecked in such a saturated purple robe, and anointed with the regal scents of eucalyptus, black raspberry, plum, spice and new oak, the 1999 Plantagenet “Omrah” could only be of the House and lineage of “Syrah”, or should we say “Shiraz” – the ancient name of Australia’s most noble varietal. While deep, brooding and loaded with alcohol, flavor and power, the “Omrah” Syrah is no despot in the glass. The wine reveals considerable charm in the form of a lush, velvety mid-palate and its authoritative finish is strong but not rough, thanks to ripe, well-integrated tannins. This lovely wine drinks quite well, especially after a little breathing time; yet, with another year or two in bottle, we predict even more majestic flavors will emerge from the Omrah. Open about an hour before serving and enjoy!
Accompaniments: Australians will typically choose lamb or beef to accompany their finest Shiraz, and we certainly wouldn’t argue with either of those choices. However, slow-cooked baby back ribs, smothered in homemade barbecue sauce, make for another grand accompaniment to the delicious 1999 Plantagenet “Omrah” Shiraz. A Jamaican jerk-rubbed pork tenderloin or chicken would also fill the gustatory bill. In addition, traditional Caribbean dishes such as: Cuban black beans and rice with “mojito” and free range chicken roasted with garlic, herbs and island spices also make first rate choices with this Plantagenet offering. Stew, game and marinated kebobs are other exemplary offerings with the 1999 Omrah. The spicier the dishes, the cooler we would suggest you serve this Shiraz (but not below 60°F).
Recipe for Red Wine:
Caribbean Pork Casserole Sauté
2 pork tenderloins – cut into 1 inch slices
2 sweet potatoes – peeled & sliced
4 scallions
1 red pepper - diced
3 Tbl. fresh gingerroot – minced
2 Tbl. salad oil
3 Tbl. soy sauce
1 -15 ounce can pineapple chunks
3 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. allspice
1 Tbl. red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 425°. Chop scallions and mix in a bowl with pork, ginger, soy, Worcestershire sauce, ground red pepper and allspice. Cover and marinate 1 hour in refrigerator.
In a casserole, toss potatoes, diced red pepper pieces and ½ oil. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. In a skillet, over medium heat, add remaining oil and brown pork. Remove pork slices to a dish momentarily.Pour pineapple chunks with their juice into skillet and scrape to loosen any pork bits from bottom of skillet. Pour pineapple mixture, remaining marinade and pork slices into casserole pan over potatoes. Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until pork and vegetables are tender.
Chateau Coucheroy Pessac – Leognan Graves 2000 - France
Chateau Coucheroy is one of the glittering jewels in the diadem of wine estates, so masterfully crafted by the legendary Andre Lurton. Since inheriting the old 18th century farmhouse he was born in, that is now Chateau Bonnet, Lurton has amassed a wine empire that consists of over a dozen dazzling estates, all under the auspices of Les Vignobles Andre Lurton. From Margaux to St. Emilion and Entre Deux Mers to Graves, Lurton has fashioned his passion for wines and vineyards into some of Bordeaux’s most profound wines.
Nestled in the Pessac-Leognon appellation of northern Graves that Lurton helped create in 1987, Chateau Coucheroy consists of some 110 acres of vines, which sit astride a gravel and chalk outcropping. The name of the estate comes from the local Gascon dialect: legend has it that Henri, then King of neighboring Navarre and future King of France, surprised by a sudden violent thunderstorm, took shelter there overnight and the place was known henceforth as “Coucheroy”, meaning “the King slept here”.
Today, the vineyard is planted in both red and white grapes varieties. The wines are presently vinified in the cellars of the great Chateau La Louviere, one of the brightest stars in Lurton’s portfolio. The red, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, typifies the gracious, velvety style of Graves – an easy-drinking, classic claret. Yet, the white is perhaps the better known wine from Chateau Coucheroy. It is a blend of the traditional Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, yielding a classic, dry very stylish white Graves.
The Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon of Chateau Coucheroy are all hand harvested. A portion of the cepage is then barrel fermented. Ageing for this fine white is also done in barrel as well as vats where the wine is allowed to rest on its lees, gaining complexity and flavor. Such practices insure longevity, up to twenty or more years for the white Graves from Chateau Coucheroy.
The 2000 vintage appears to be excellent in nearly all of Bordeaux, but no where is this more true than at Chateau Coucheroy. Already, the 2000 white Graves is drinking well; yet it promises to be one of the longest lived wines from this property.
Graves: The First Bordeaux
Graves, which includes the appellation of Pessac-Leognon, is the oldest wine exporting region of Bordeaux. Historical documents, dating from as far back as the 12th century, indicate the flow of exceptional wine from Graves to the world’s thirsty cognoscenti in England and other far flung lands. Later, many Americans, including Thomas Jefferson, considered the wines of Graves to be among the world’s finest, purchasing large quantities of the best Graves for their cellars and procuring vine cuttings from this illustrious commune in the hope of recreating the magic of Graves in the New World. Presently, the wines of Graves, both white and red, are some of the finest and most expensive wines produced in Bordeaux.
Graves is the region of Bordeaux closest to the city of Bordeaux itself. In fact, some of this sprawling district’s estates are located in the southern suburbs of the city. The rest of Graves is a pastoral blend of vineyards intermingled with pine forests and small family farms. This bucolic land derives its name from the gravel and sand soil that characterize the finest vineyard sights. Graves’ unique soil composition is the result of the ancient alluvial spoil of the nearby Garonne River as well as the terminal moraine of Ice Age glaciers.
The entire Greaves region produces both red and white wines of exceptional quality. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are responsible for nearly all of the district’s reds, while Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and to a lesser extent, Muscadelle (a dry white not to be confused with the sweet Muscatel) constitute the white Bordeaux cepage.In addition to the dry, fragrant reds and whites for which Graves is famous, Graves also produces the world’s finest and most recognized sweet dessert wine in Sauternes, a sub district of Graves.
Tasting Notes: A suave, sophisticated white Graves, the 2000 Chateau Coucheroy Pessac-Leognon exhibits a creamy, elegant nose. Subtle scents of apple, fig and melon fold into a lovely waft of vanilla – the result of the judicious use of clean, new oak barrels, which Andre Lurton insists be part of the elevage at all of his top estates. Refreshingly dry and carefully wrapped in subtle complexity, the Chateau Coucheroy contains a beautiful pinpoint minerality that seems to speak from its very core. Fruit, earth and barrel marry well in this wine and play off each other like the comfortable, seasoned members of a band. Cultivated yet jazzy, the 2000 Chateau Coucheroy is already excellent but will most certainly improve with age, gaining a deeper resonance to its fruit and mineral core, which over time will explode in a crescendo of flavor and provide a long, dry opulent finish that will be hard to beat. Enjoy now and for the next ten or more years. Serve chilled.
Accompaniments: Sophisticated wine calls for sophisticated food. One of our very favorite seafood recipes, Scallops with Pistachio Nuts, seems to be the perfect match for the 2000 Chateau Coucheroy Pessac-Leognon. Both the wine and the food in this instance contain a variety of distinctive flavors, which come together as a beautiful whole. The herbal, mineral flavors in the Chateau Coucheroy complement the pistachios, highlighting the piquancy of the nuts, while the oak barrel fermentation and ageing of the wine plays off the sweet cream and butter used in the sauce. Life doesn’t get much better than this, unless of course you have a large, freshly steamed lobster in the pot. Indeed, the 2000 Chateau Coucheroy is a more than worthy companion to a good Maine lobster. Again, a lobster with its subtle infusion of sweetness and piquancy provides the excellent foil to Chateau Coucheroy’s incomparable mélange of sophisticated flavors. And certainly most seafood and many poultry dishes would also do quite well with this lovely Graves, but experience tells us the more noble the dish, the more dazzling the Chateau Coucheroy becomes, so be regal and watch this jewel of a wine shine.
Recipe for White Wine
Bay Scallops with Pistachios
1 lb. bay scallops
3 Tbl. cream
2 Tbl. olive oil
¼ cup white wine
4 Tbl. sweet butter
1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
½ tsp. thyme
½-¾ cups shelled pistachio nuts
nutmeg to taste
Drain scallops overnight in a colander in the refrigerator. If juice seems fresh, save it. Heat a skillet over high heat and add the oil and 2 Tbl. butter. When melted together, but not brown, add scallops and cook for 3-4 minutes, constantly shaking pan. Season scallops and then shake a few more times and remove to a dish with a slotted spoon.
Pour off any excess oil and add nuts and sauté until lightly brown. Add the lemon or lime juice, wine and then the cream and reserved scallop juice, if any. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to half. Sprinkle with thyme and nutmeg. Return scallops to pan and add remaining butter. Cook together for 1-2 minutes and serve immediately.
Fattoria Le Terrazze Rosso Conero 1999 - Italy
When the crowds leave the pretty beach resorts and the tourists take leave of the many fine seafood restaurants that anchor the breathtakingly beautiful Adriatic Coast, the local cognoscenti put aside the region’s Verdicchio and break out the Marches’ most serious and compelling wine – Rosso Conero. A robust, sturdy, warm wine fit for a cold winter’s night, Rosso Conero is a delicious red that draws its strength from the flavorful Montepulciano grape. And when blended with up to 15% Sangiovese, Rosso Conero combines vigor with finesse resulting in subtle complexity in the Marches finest wine. The on going aim of Antonio and Georgina Terni, proprietors of Fattoria Le Terrazze, is simply to make the very best Rosso Conero in the appellation, a goal many critics believe the honest, hardworking Terni’s have already achieved.
Working a mere 15 acre vineyard, Antonio and Georgina Terni produce only 2000 acres of Rosso Conero in an average year, preferring to drop clusters of purple grapes to the meticulously tended vineyard floor in order to produce consummate quality rather than mere quantity. By all accounts, Fattoria Le Terrazze turns out compelling Rosso Conero, a wine that deserves to be better known internationally.
Tasting Notes: The 1999 Fattoria Le Terrazze Rosso Conero reveals an elegant, soft perfume of cherry, rose and wild violet. The scent of this Rosso Conero recalls one of those glorious May mornings when roses first bloom in the yard and the earth seems to exude in a single moment all of the freshness and sensuality of Spring and, perhaps, life itself. Yet, in the mouth, Le Terrazze is rich, warm and velvety with copious quantities of black cherry, cola and subtle complexity to render it a near perfect companion to a long winter’s night. Medium to full-bodied, the wine’s sweet tannin provides structure, along with plush elegance. Serve this huggable wine at about 65°F, after airing for at least 20-30 minutes. Due to minimal processing and the nature of the Montepulciano grape, this wine may throw some harmless natural sediment.
Accompaniments: The cuisine of the Marches is, perhaps, simple in comparison to that of Piemonte or Emilian-Romagna but it is quite varied, and always fresh. The Marches is home to brodetto, the local version of bouillabaisse, as well as a long list of fresh and smoked meats, poultry and game specialties, all of which make outstanding complements to the 1999 Fattoria Le Terrazze Rosso Conero. Porchetta or roasted pig, stuffed with onion, herbs, garlic and wild fennel is one of our favorite complements to the Terni’s beautiful wine. Lasagna, plump, marinated or fried green olives and rich pasta sauces with garlic, olive oil, rosemary and fresh tomato also provide wonderful accompaniments to Le Terrazze’s Rosso Conero, so enjoy!
Tahbilk Marsanne 1999 – Australia
Established in 1860, Tahbilk Estate is one of Australia’s most beautiful and historic properties. Tahbilk is located in the Nagambie Lakes Region some 100kms north of Melbourne, on the east bank of the Goulburn River, at a site the Aboriginals called “tabilk-tabilk”, meaning “place of many waterholes”. Since 1925 the estate has remained steadfastly in the hands of the Purbrick Family.
The property comprises some 1,214 hectacres of the richest river flats in the Goulburn Valley, with a frontage of 11 kilometers on the river and approximately 8 kilometers of permanent running back waters and creeks. The vineyard comprises just 168 hectacres of vines with classical varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec, Riesling, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon and Verdelho grown.
One of the most interesting and picturesque features of the Tahbilk Estate is the cellar, the main part of which is underground and eminently suitable for the maturation of high-quality table wines. The original cellar and storage built in 1860 (and surmounted by a tower and classified by the National Trust) is 92 meters in length, whereas the “New Cellar”, constructed in 1875 and running at right angles, is 60.5 meters long. An idea of the size of the cellars may be obtained from the fact that the roof area alone covers over 2 acres.
Throughout its history, Tahbilk has obtained over 1000 awards for wine produced on the Estate at all of the world’s principal exhibitions, due in no small part to the Purbrick family. The Estate was purchased by Reginald Purbrick in 1925 and by 1931 by his son, Eric, had taken over management and winemaking responsibilities at Tahbilk. Eric was joined by his son John in 1955 and John’s son Alister, a graduate of the Winemaking Course at Roseworthy College, took over the role as winemaker and Chief Executive in 1980.
Tasting Notes: The 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne wears a bright, golden robe, reminiscent of sunshine. The bouquet and palate of this unique, unwooded Marsanne exhibit intense aromas of lemon, honey and peach. And, the familiar honeysuckle and nutty complexity traditionally associated with mature Marsanne have just begun to emerge from the citrus underpinnings of the wine. On the finish, the 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne is long and flavorsome and is balanced with crisp acidity. Drink this Marsanne moderately chilled.
Accompaniments: Spicy grilled chicken, Asian stir-fries, veal, seafood, pastas, and fresh shellfish are all amiable partners to the 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne. Well prepared sushi and sashimi are other worthy complements. A Fettuccini Alfredo and an artfully prepared pasta primavera will, also, provide memorable accompaniments to Tahbilk’s Marsanne. Given the touch of exotica that makes this wine so interesting, we encourage you to be creative in your food pairings; this Marsanne may very well be your answer to those exciting but nearly impossible to pair food/wine combinations. Enjoy!
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