Right, back again (albeit a long time between drinks) to continue the story of our South Australian adventures back in February. Where was I? Oh that's right - only my favourite vinous destination on earth - right in the thick of the hallowed Coonawarra terra rossa (try saying that real fast after a few too many cellar doors in one afternoon!).
OK, so... after blitzing Wynns and Zema Estate's cellar doors within an hour of our arrival, we relaxed into a blissful evening at Punter's Retreat. The balmy evening was just the ticket for a gourmet bbq and sampling our recent purchases in the vine-covered courtyard.
DAY 5
After lining our collective stomachs with a hearty brekky, we were off to have a sticky beak at the neighbours' gaff. Majella wines was in my Top 3 'must-visit' cellar doors of the whole trip, so to discover our accommodation was located right next door to their vineyard was pleasing, to say the least. Their wines have been a longstanding fave of mine; they produce consistently excellent drops and are true Coonawarra icons. On arrival we duly tasted the straight 'Majella Shiraz' and 'Majella Cabernet Sauvignon,' and also were lucky enough to sample the super-premium 'The Mallea' (Aboriginal for 'green field'), a blend of Cabernet and Shiraz.
The two former wines retail for around $30, while The Mallea is just over double that. Do yourself a favour and, at some stage in your life, treat yourself to one of these babies - you will not regret it! Appearance across the board is very dark, almost inky, and flavours include chocolate, earth, spice and cedar. And if the budget is tight, Majella's Shiraz Cabernet Blend, 'The Musician' is an absolute steal at around $18 RRP.
So, with Majella ticked off the list, we eagerly headed off to further explore the cigar-shaped strip of dirt known as 'Australia's Other Red Centre.'
Notable mention must go to Penley Estate, with a lovely old rustic barn of a cellar door, an extensive and high-quality range of wines with eye-catching labels. Iconic predatory birds and fantasy creatures adorn each bottle including the 'Condor,' 'Phoenix,' 'Hyland' and 'Gryphon.' The standout wine was the Penley Estate Reserve Cab Sauv 2004 - about $50 a bottle and one to put away for a special occasion. Here's the blurb: Intense rich ripe berries, velvety tannins and characters of smoky oak and chocolate, The wine is elegant but extremely complex and can be cellared for 10 years. In a plonker word: Yum.
Over the remainder of the day, we somehow also managed to fit in the following wineries: Leconfield, Bowen Estate, Hollick, Balnaves and Punter's Corner (owned by the same crew as the retreat we were staying at). My God, that's a lot of cellar doors! No wonder we were a bit worse for wear come 5pm!
The Coonawarra doesn't have too many dining options, however, I would consider 'Upstairs at Hollick' as one of best vineyard restaurants I've come across. The restaurant is (unsurprisingly) upstairs, above Hollick's cellar door, with floor to ceiling windows that ensure uninterrupted views over the vineyard and beyond to the broader Coonawarra region. You can also see into the barrel store and may even catch a glimpse of the winemaker plying his craft.
We stopped here for lunch and were not disappointed! This was Modern Australian cuisine at is best - and we sampled several dishes showcasing some of the region's finest seasonal produce. Mmmm.
We savoured our last night in the Coonawarra, enjoying another barbie at Punter's, in the warm evening air accompanied, yet again, by more local tipples. Speaking of which, it would be remiss of me not to mention the 'oh my God' moment I experienced in the small township of Penola (the Coonawarra's main village). Whilst trawling through the local bottle-o, I stumbled across a dusty bottle of Wynns 'Michael' Shiraz (the super-premium, well-flash shiraz from Wynn's stable) from the renowned 1998 vintage. And the bottle price was an absolute steal! After eliciting a not particularly discreet moan, I grabbed it and scooted to the counter. Happy days indeed.
To be continued...
The Plonker
No comments:
Post a Comment