Thursday night and it is quite a balmy night and there is a tasting at Mitchell’s of Yalumba wines hosted by Paul Webster Market Manager for the U.K. and Europe for Yalumba wines.
A number of Mitchell’s staff are present as we are actively encouraged to attend and gain product knowledge which is beneficial to ourselves and customers.
Before I begin I will introduce you to the history of Yalumba wines the following text is taken verbatim from their official site https://www.yalumba.com/ which I encourage you to peruse:
The Yalumba story started with Samuel Smith venturing across the seas from England to a small town called Angaston in South Australia. He founded Yalumba in 1849, planting the first vine under moonlight with his son, Sidney. His bold, pioneering spirit has passed through the generations, influencing each of Yalumba’s proprietors throughout the years; Sidney Smith, Walter Smith, and Wyndham Hill-Smith, all the way through to our fifth generations proprietor today, Robert Hill-Smith.
Robert led Yalumba into the modern era by cementing our reputation as an internationally-focused and innovative business within the Australian wine industry. He pioneered Viognier in Australia, established Australia’s First Families of Wine and launched Yalumba’s most prestigious wine — The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, honouring his great uncle Fred Caley Smith. Robert’s family carries on the legacy set in place by Samuel Smith, continuing to experiment and showcase the best the Barossa has to offer.
The wines we will be sampling tonight are:
- Jansz Sparkling
- Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling
- Y series Chardonnay
- Eden Valley Viognier
- Barossa Bush Vine Grenache
- The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon
- The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
- Yalumba Antique Muscat
Jansz Sparkling
The first drink of the night is a Jansz Premium Cuvée Non Vintage Sparkling from Tasmania, Australia.
A Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend with two years cellaring and as much time as possible on its lees before hand creates a wine with structure.
Tasmania is an island state of Australia and is located to the south of Australia’s mainland.
Tasmania has a relatively cool temperate climate compared to the rest of Australia, spared from the hot summers of the mainland and experiencing four distinct seasons.
These are ideal conditions for producing low yield but highly concentrated flavours in the wine.
Jansz is named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who first sighted the island we now call Tasmania in 1642. When Jansz established their vineyard in 1975, they originally named it after Tasman’s ship – the Heemskerk. In 1997 the business was purchased by the Hill-Smith family (of Yalumba fame), and Jansz are now one of the most highly regarded sparkling wine houses in Australia.
Time to sample the wine and honeysuckle and citrus scents are immediately apparent with slight aromas of nougat, roasted nuts and a sniff of strawberry from the Pinot Noir. Delicate fruits and creaminess wash through the mouth leaving a lingering finish of citrus and nougat.
A.B.V. at 12.5 % in a 70 cl bottle retailing at £17.99 this is a lovely drink for the summertime which is totally refreshing.
Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling
Taken from the official site https://www.pewseyvale.com.au/the-original/
In 1839, shortly after his arrival from England, Joseph Gilbert started building a fine homestead in Eden Valley and planted the region’s first grapevines in 1847…
Like so many vineyards in the 1920s and 30s, Pewsey Vale fell into disuse but, thankfully, its potential was rediscovered.
In 1961, pastoralist Geoffrey Angas Parsons became aware his property had once incorporated the region’s earliest vineyard and shared his discovery with good friend, and vigneron Wyndham Hill-Smith. Several wine companies were considering potential vineyard sites with cooler ripening conditions than found on the Barossa Valley floor and Hill-Smith needed no further persuasion – work soon began on re-establishing Pewsey Vale Vineyard.
With an altitude varying between 485 and 500 metres, Pewsey Vale Vineyard sits 250 metres above the Barossa Valley floor. This means cooler temperatures and a long ripening period that extends well into autumn, perfect for the characteristic Rieslings we know and love. A vineyard that deals exclusively in riesling.
Intense aromas of lime and lemon, fresh toast and lime marmalade. Citrus dominant, the palate displays hints of honey, sage oil and marmalade, finishing with a crushed stone minerality. Vibrant and fresh, but with richness and intensity from its 10 years in bottle.
Enjoy with five-spiced glazed duck breast, seared scallops, and lemon butter sauce, or roasted cauliflower salad.
This was definitely one of my favourites of the evening and I loved the freshness of the drink and thought it would be ideal for a summer tipple.
12. 5% ABV in a 75cl bottle with retail price of £16.39 an ideal introduction to the night from a vineyard that deals exclusively with Riesling.
Y Series Chardonnay
A refreshing, lip smacking Chardonnay with minimal winemaker intervention and no oak influence, this Chardonnay is pure and fresh, with subtle complexity from the 100% wild yeast fermentation.
The palate is long and creamy with flavours reminiscent of grapefruit and barbecued green mango.
There is spicy lemon myrtle and a savoury edge with flinty notes from the wild fermentation. A refreshing, lip-smacking acidity that gives this wine a lovely length with a savoury, textural finish.
Best enjoyed with pan-fried haloumi with lemon and parsley, or chickpea, zucchini and carrot fritters with a green mango salsa.
All the information supplied here is available from Yalumba official site
https://www.yalumba.com/shop/wines/y-series-chardonnay
Eden Valley Viognier
The Yalumba Nursery sourced, propagated and grew these exotic vines before their growers planted them high in the Eden Valley.
The grapes for this wine come from six different Eden Valley vineyards, and artfully blended together to create the final wine.
Viognier is a versatile wine that pairs beautifully with diverse cuisines including Asian and Middle-Eastern dishes. Recommended pairing for this wine is with Moroccan tagine and spiced cous cous according to the official Yalumba site.
Pure aromas reminiscent of fresh apricots, ginger, saffron and fresh white flowers. The palate is long and silky with stone fruit flavours, finishing with an alluring freshness.
This wine will continue to grow and develop in the bottle, firstly showing enhanced apricots and spice, then honey flavours and toast complexity.
Barrel fermented in old barriques this is indeed a tasty Viognier which you can find in Mitchell’s stores retailing at £15.99 with a 13.5% ABV.
Barossa Bush Vine Grenache
Scattered across the Barossa valley floor, a number of special old, bush vine Grenache vineyards contribute to this wine. A range of terroir, including climate and soil types, can be found at each site, helping to make this individual and intriguing style of Grenache.
A wine that opens with bright red fruits and spices with hints of violets and roses and also a savoury complexity. Shows richness and ripeness with textured layers of red and blueberry fruits and youthful tannins.
Katie an employee of Mitchell’s who was attending this tasting stated: “That this red is a better version of Pinot Noir.”
This wine is closest you can get to a Pinot Noir.
It is a food friendly wine and recommended with roast pork or miso roasted eggplant.
I am not a red wine drinker per se but I was suitably impressed by this and yes it does remind me of Pinot Noir which is a red wine that I am drawn towards maybe for its fruitiness. This wine retails at £14.99 at Mitchell’s.
The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon
The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon is named after the unique cigar-shaped strip of rich terra rossa soil that defines the famous Coonawarra wine region. It is a contemporary medium to full bodied wine with rich fruit characters and soft round tannins; matured for 16 months in new and older French oak.
The Menzies Estate Vineyard lies in the heart of Coonawarra on the famous terra rossa soil over limestone. This valuable patch of land is the holy grail of all Cabernet purists; with soil vivid red in colour, it is perfect for growing exceptional full-bodied red wines.
Yalumba The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon is crimson red with an aroma that fills the senses. There are floral high tones of violets and lavender underscored by bass notes of cherries and dark chocolate.
The wine is bright with fresh red fruits such as cherries and currants sweeping the palate followed by the melted chocolate texture of the soft tannins. The finish lingers pleasantly. Try with a plate of charcuterie or antipasto.
14% ABV retailing at £23.50 for a 75cl bottle this is delicious and was a big hit with the tasting crowd.
A classic Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the first vintage release of The Signature was in 1962. Since then, this outstanding wine has acknowledged more than 57 Signatories; people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba.
A medium to full bodied wine with a long, flowing tannin profile. A very refined Signature.
A refined and complex palate that is delightfully fresh with seamlessly integrated oak. Generous red berry fruit is wrapped in finely honed tannins.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from four vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The Shiraz comes from vineyards of varying age, with the oldest planted in 1945.
Matured for 21 months in 33% new French barriques, American and Hungarian hogsheads, balance in older French, Hungarian and American barriques and hogsheads.
Retailing at £37.50 with an ABV of 14.5 % a very satisfying full-bodied wine.
Last but not least carrying on their tradition of fortified winemaking, Yalumba’s Antique Muscat is a fine dessert wine that highlights the rich, raisin and luscious style of Rutherglen Muscat. This is an indulgent and seamless wine.
Fermentation is arrested by fortification with neutral grape spirit to retain the sweetness in the wine. The wine is matured in small oak barrels and after many years of maturation, a selection of older and younger wines are judiciously blended to produce this complex and balanced wine.
The bottle size is 37.5 cl with an ABV of 17.5 % and retailing at Mitchell’s for £19.99.
I found this to lovely and sweet and reminiscent of the taste of xmas pudding which would make this an ideal tipple for serving at Christmas time.
In conclusion a fantastic night hosted by Paul Webster where I learnt a lot about this particular brand of winemakers and hopefully this knowledge will be utilised within the store when customers are present.
I hope this has been of service and look forward to your custom.
Rusty'sArtWerk 