Orange’s is a fascinating wine region. Its history is steeped in gold mining and orchards, mostly cherries, apples & pears, which are all still thriving industries today alongside the wineries. The influence of the gold mines probably accounts for the fact the town looks quite ‘well heeled’, can support a couple of hatted restaurants and has both BMW and Audi car dealerships at the gateway to the Orange ‘CBD’. It also has a vibrant student community courtesy of the Sydney and Charles Sturt University campuses, which means plenty of staff for the restaurants and wine bars.
It had been 2-years since I had visited the Orange wine region, so when the opportunity came up a few weeks ago with Winewise Magazine to do a regional tasting, I jumped at the chance. I remember thinking back then that Chardonnay was the big mover and shaker along with Sauvignon Blanc, and there was plenty of promise for Shiraz, Pinot Noir and other varieties such as Tempranillo. So, had any of my predictions come to pass?
There are a number of wine producers worth following who are making good wines and are on an uphill trend.
We tasted mainly 2010 and 2011 vintages, but there were quite a few 2009s and a smattering of older vintages. Happily I can report that Chardonnay has blossomed. They are producing a range of styles from the ‘old school’ peaches and cream styles right through to the more parred back, elegant personalities – although the latter is more commonplace. Most of the Chardonnays we saw were well made with good use of quality oak. They are also using lees for texture, which is not unusual with Aussie Chardy these days.
Sauvignon Blanc seems to have plateaued after all the experimentation I saw previously with oak and lees, which looked promising. It could be that the past couple of difficult vintages haven’t given the winemakers much option, but most looked quite tropical and a bit ‘samey’ with little of the intrigue I had seen a couple of years ago. However, they were all sound with very good natural acidity and not much evident sweetness, which was a blessing.
Shiraz has the potential to be the strongest red of the region. The best examples I saw were medium-bodied with red and black fruits, earth and pepper spices, excellent acidity and balanced, savoury-edged tannins. There wasn’t much in the way of stems in the 2010s and 2011s, which was probably a good thing, but there were a number of wines that had dominant oak. This upset the fruit balance and tannins no end. However, with less oak (or more fruit strength) Shiraz will be wonderful.
Pinot Noir still has a way to go with no real progress I could see in the past couple of years, but it will come the more winemakers get a handle on it, and with vine age.
As for everything else, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from 2009 produced some notable wines along with a Savagnin & Viognier from 2011 and a Sangiovese and Barbera from 2010.
There are a number of wine producers worth following who are making good wines and are on an uphill trend. So, here are my picks of the region.
Phillip Shaw
Phil Shaw has been one of the leading lights of the Orange region for a while. He brought with him enormous winemaking expertise, courtesy of his big company experience, and has invested in the region for a good 20-years or more. His Chardonnays are the funkiest in the region, and he also produces decent Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Ross Hill
Established in 1994, Ross Hill is a winery that has gone from strength to strength. They were the most consistent producer of the tasting turning out a range of good wines made from Chardonnay, Cab Sav and Cab Franc. The ‘Pinnacle’ Series is well worth a look as is the ‘Tom & Harry’ range. They also have one of the cutest winery dogs in ‘Jessie’ the Dachshund (below).
Printhie
Named after an extinct goanna-like lizard, Printhie wines was established by the Swift family in the mid-90s, and with winemaker Drew Tuckwell at the helm they have cemented themselves as one of the premier wineries of the region. Their Shiraz and Chardonnay stood out.
De Salis
De Salis is the brainchild of research scientist Charlie Svenson. Founded in 1999, it started out as a ‘garagiste’ winery and still produces only small volumes of wine. Nevertheless, this very small producer had a couple of ripping Chardonnays in the tasting, so keep an eye on them.
Angullong
This producer is fast earning the reputation of being kings of the ‘other’ varieties. They are doing very well with their Tempranillo and Barbera, and had a very decent 2011 Savagnin.
Cumulus
If you are looking for good value wines, then look no further than Cumulus. Their wines were well made and expressive without being too ‘tricksy’ and represent bang for your buck! It also runs on high-octane girl power with winemaker Debbie Lauritz in control.
For in depth details and wine notes of the Orange regional tasting, check out Winewise Magazine at www.winewise.net.au and subscribe (if you don’t already!). Should be out in the next issue.
Deb Pearce Wine Blog 