2017 Halliday Wine Companion
A Change is as Good as a Halliday!! With many Flowstone wines just changing vintage, and the latest Halliday ratings for these wines, now is the time to let you know how we went:
2014 Sauvignon Blanc: 97 points (equal highest scoring Sauvignon Blanc)
Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in used oak and demi-muids with 45 mm thick staves, matured for 11 months in oak, plus 15 months in bottle. The complex, vaguely smoky/charry bouquet shifts around radically on the super-intense and complex palate, with citrus and snow pea doing battle with ripe citrus and guava/lychee tropical fruits, the latter prevailing. A salute to the late Didier Dagueneau.
2014 Gewurztraminer: 93 points
From 35yo dry-grown vines in Willyabrup, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in used French oak, matured for 15 months. Breaks all the rules for Australian winemaking, unashamedly looking to Alsace. Folds you in its robes of lychee and spice, the use of oak all about texture and structure, not fruit varietal character.
2013 Chardonnay: 96 points
From a single vineyard in Karridale, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (20% new), mlf, matured for in oak for 11 months, plus 30 months in bottle. Karridale is in the southernmost (coolest) part of the Margaret River, but the youth of this wine is nonetheless amazing – as it has been in prior vintages. No single fruit flavour dominates, nor is the oak particularly obvious, it’s just a very good chardonnay.
2014 Shiraz Grenache; 95 points
75/25%, the shiraz crushed and destemmed for open fermentation, the grenache whole bunch and foot- stomped for 3 weeks, thence to barrel, the shiraz was pressed mid-ferment to barrel to complete its fermentation and 7 months’ maturation. Has an utterly enticing array of berry flavours, spices and wild herbs, the latter helping to lift and cleanse the palate.
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Touriga: 91 points
70/30%, fermented separately in open-fermenters, the cabernet remaining on skins for 17 days, the touriga for 9 days, matured in French oak (20% new) for 24 months, plus a further 24 months bottle age. Stuart Pym has got his teeth into this bone, and isn’t about to let go. It’s got flavour, texture, structure, a point of difference.
2013 Queen of the Earth Chardonnay: 97 points
From the home vineyard at Forest Grove planted 2004, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (50% new), mlf, matured for 18 months, plus a further 24 months in bottle. I’ll bet every vine receives personal attention; as each year passes, the style of the Flowstone wines becomes more clearly marked. Here it is the depth and texture of the fruit, mlf and oak in measured support for each other that establishes the special quality the wine has (not to mention 2 years cellar maturation).
2012 Queen of the Earth Cabernet Sauvignon: 97 points
From a dry-grown Wilyabrup vineyard planted late 70s, hand-picked, open-fermented, 17 days on skins, matured in French oak for 3 years. Excellent colour; a suave Margaret River cabernet with all its bolshie cabernet tannins now in the role they will play long term; the bouquet has some elusive violets, the mouthfeel and overall structure picture perfect, the flavours of cassis and bay leaf enough to melt a pinot lover’s heart.
In summary, from 7 wines, 3 wines at 97 points, 5 wines above 95 points, and all wines above 91 points.
In addition, the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc was the equal highest pointing Sauvignon Blanc, but, alas, did not get the award this year (but did get the best comments).
Feel free to contact us if you need any further information on any of these wines, or DOWNLOAD a PDF version.
Stuart
