Our Wines - 2011 Delight Vermentino
Delight
- Julian Coldrey - Full Pour
15 Oct 2011
It's always disappointing to me when a particular style of wine becomes fashionable and, therefore, ubiquitous. To me, it misses one of the key joys of wine, which is its infinite variety. I'll never tell anyone what they ought to like, but when people talk of drinking only a particular style of wine, it smacks of posturing or willful ignorance, or perhaps both. I truly believe to get the most out of wine, one needs to explore a wide range of styles and learn to appreciate what they have to offer, even if some end up being preferred over others.
Given that little rant, it may seem contradictory of me to suggest that I'm no huge fan of the fairly recent vogue for alternate varietals in Australia. Maybe it's unhelpfully conservative of me, but I believe we have well-established regional styles that, collectively, show great variety and distinction. And, were I given the choice, I'd prefer for those styles to be mined and elevated even further, rather than see our efforts spread far and wide in the search for the next great varietal sensation.
I therefore approach this wine with both curiosity and dread, hoping to find an unusual style and, at the same time, wondering if I wouldn't be better off tucking into a great dry Riesling. After tasting it, I'm still not sure on either front; it's nice try to a Barossa Vermentino for completeness' sake at least, as I don't believe I've ever had one before. It's a clean-smelling wine, the aroma profile somewhat neutral but showing hints of honeysuckle, bubble gum and something much more interesting, akin to overripe fruit that has begun to spoil in its opulent fleshiness.
The palate carries this rather challenging note through, but what stands out most here is structure. This wine is all about zingy acid and the sort of lively mouthfeel that will go down well during summer. Palate weight is fuller than many aromatic whites, feeling closer to Semillon than Riesling. Flavour is quite generous on the middle palate, with good intensity and impact. The after palate and finish taper away elegantly, never losing their acid backbone and sense of freshness.
An unusual wine, then, with some flavour components that I enjoyed for their angularity.
Yelland & Papps
Price: $A19.95
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample
Posted by Julian on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 5:10 AM
Filed in Australia, White and tagged 2011, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Vermentino - Louise Radman - Sip your Style
RRP: $19.95
ABV: 11%
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Likely to find this: Independent or fine wine stores; winery direct
I recently attended a fancy wine dinner that began with a bang, thanks to this vivacious vermentino hot off the press from vintage 2011. It’s a fruity and approachable style, awash with fresh lemongrass and grapefruit flavours. Zippy, zesty, perky, tangy – you get the idea. Made by Susan Yelland and Michael Papps, it hails from one of Barossa’s first vermentino vineyards. An absolute delight with freshly shucked oysters at any time of the day or night – Louise. louiseradman.com
www.yellandandpapps.com
- 3 stars - Panel - Winestate Magazine
- 3 stars - Panel - Winestate March/April 2012
Light, yeasty bouquet with floral notes and crisp, fresh palate. Needs spicy food. - 90 points - Mike Bennie - WBM 100 Sept 2011
Cut grass and straw kick things off and then it's into the perky, lithe frame of the palate.
Lemon zest acidity and green apple juice lend freshness into the long, juicy finish. Simple but satisfying.