($26; 12.5% alcohol; screw cap)
Alsace is one French wine
region Australians don't seem very aware of, and yet its Riesling/Pinot gris
viticulture has had a long-term influence from afar in its subtle, persistent
way. Why not grow these varieties near Geelong? Or somewhere. And put them together?
Scott Ireland couldn't see why not. I'm with Scott. The result is firstly a
tour through pear land. The aromatics are steep with sliced pears of all types,
led by a sharp, prickly edge evocative of their peel and the peel of the
canteloupe, as if shredded and grilled and presented as a garnish on a cushion
of creamy lemon custard. Those pears retreat nicely into a lightly-baked tart
of all the above as you ponder the mouthful. It is indeed creamy and gentle,
and not particularly much like either of its components. It has a gracious
autumnal air about it, a little like some of the best Marsanne. It's dry, but
has a polite illusion of sweetness, like Golden Syrup on dumplings. I can
imagine taking a tipple of this in some grey old Zurich street, a tiny cream restritto
and a sweet dainty on the side. Should I attempt the newspapers in English,
Italian, French or German? Dearie me. Is she still watching?
Provenance
Tarrington Pinot Gris 2015
($26; 12.5% alcohol; screw cap)
Put that piquant
prickle of the pear and canteloupe peel in a dusty burlap sack and you're
closing in on this bouquet. It's rustic and again, somehow autumnal. It
prickles and tickles. In contrast, its texture is fluffy and comforting. If you
drank it from a black glass, you'd probably swear it was a genteel and comfy
red. Like a soft and simple morello cherry Pinot noir or Grenache without much
tannin. Like the Griesling, it has a spooky kind of spy movie feel about it,
leaving me sitting here wondering which side of the Alps we're on. Who polished
this brass? Is that Graham Greene? Buttery croissant please, with jambon and
melted cheese. Blow the smoke off your .38 and light up a Lucky. Look out the
window. Is this Bruges?
Provenance Golden Plains Chardonnay 2015
($28; 13.5% alcohol; screw cap)
We're homing in on
Beaune. Or Ballarat. The cooper's been here, with a whole assortment of spicy
staves from one tree here; one tree there. Replace the pears with citrus,
honeydew - I swear I can smell lilac out there somewhere - but keep that same
house style, and we begin to get the mind of south-west Victoria winemakers
Scott Ireland and Sam Yogel. We hit serious acid here; a different authority. These
are dead honest wines: so barefaced in their sense of source and belonging that
they transport you. They'll hang you out over somewhere which is certainly not
here. They're mysterious and genteel. Perfect drinks for the season. Get in the
movie. I'll keep an eye out for you. And yes, I'll have the baked flounder with
bitter melon and mustard please ZuZu.
Plein air 1890-91 Ramón Casas i Carbó ( Catalan Spanish, 1866-1932)
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