Wizards of OZ - Event notes and photos

Author: Simon Zhou
Venue: Piazza D’Oro, Shanghai Fashion Hub, Building 2, No. 1718 Tianshan Road, Shanghai
Date of event: 24/09/2005

Australia has long been recognised for its consistently great value wines and recently we had the opportunity to sample these for ourselves. The Shiraz and Chardonnay were certainly impressive, but the most interesting wine of the evening was made from the lesser known Viognier variety. I believe Australia has the potential do great things with this grape. Over all, the quality of the wines was consistently high. Two “Mystery” wines were included in the tasting - these were Grace Vineyard Chardonnay 2003 (China) and Te Mata Woodthorpe Cab/Merlot 2003 (New Zealand). Both wines performed well and provided some contrast to the Australian line-up.

Peter Lehmann Wild Card Chardonnay 2004 – RMB 120
South Australia
From the Peter Lehmann International series. Made from grapes sourced in the Barossa valley, no oak treatment and with an emphasis on ripe fruit with pineapple and a touch of citrus. Clean and well-made, this is typical of the easy drinking wines that Australia does so well.

d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Marsanne Viognier 2003 – RMB 215
McLaren Vale, Australia
d’Arenberg has been the star of the Australian wine scene for the last 5 years. Each of their wine bears a name that tells a story. This wine is so called because the region was once under the sea and there are a lot of ancient shells about the vineyard. The wine is fragrant with loads of up front fruit. Apricots and pears on the nose with refreshing acidity and relatively full body. Good palate weight and plenty of flavours to balance the acidity.

Grace Vineyard Chardonnay 2003 – RMB 65
Shan Xi, China
This is the entry level chardonnay for Grace Vineyard, light and pale with a soft fruit and mineral on the palate, pleasant and very drinkable, great value for money wine 12.5% Alc.

Fox Creek Shadow's Run Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 – RMB 169
McLaren Vale, Australia
From the McLaren Vale and named after the owner’s dog Shadow, this wine is a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is soft and round, with plenty of cherry, raspberry and plum on the palate. Soft tannin and very ripe finish. A relatively big wine at 14.5% Alc. Well made wine at a good price.

Peter Lehmann Wild Card Shiraz 2004 – RMB 120
South Australia
This is another great value for money wine, with plenty of fruit and touch of liquorice and spice. Soft and supple tannin with a gentle touch of oak. Ready to drink now, this is not a wine for laying down.

Te Mata Woodthorpe Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2003 – RMB 193
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Made by one of the most respected wineries in New Zealand, this is their entry level red wine comprising 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot with the balance made up of Cabernet Franc. Supple and soft with gentle oak and tannin. The acidity is a little high, but it is balanced well with the fruit. Would be a fantastic match for olive and mushroom pizza.