Cobaw Ridge

About the Winery
For me Cobaw Ridge rounds out the region's top handful of wineries (along with Bindi, Curley Flat, Domaine Epis and Granite Hills. I was blown away with the 1999 Chardonnay nearly a decade ago and it still stays etched in my palate as one of the greatest Victorian chardonnays I have ever consumed. Of course the other key note of interest is production of Australia's most established Lagrein. I've seen a few others pop up in recent years but Alan Cooper's example, at its best, stands up confidently to leading examples from Alto Adige in Northern Italy.

The winery is a touch off the beaten track so best have directions handy.

Shiraz Viognier 2005 (August 2010)
A touch green, leafy and lean but generally more proof that shiraz is well suited up in Macedon (well better than pinot anyway!). Some nettles and hard green fruits here but it seems to work ok, and the viognier appears to sweet the top layer of the fruit up nicely. Some burnt rubber, albeit faint, points to a reductive note. Overall faithful to its cool climate roots.

Chardonnay 2006 (August 2010) - Recommended
Doesn't hit the heady highs of the 1999 (still one of the best chardonnays I have ever drunk) but this is smart and good for the region. Looks a little developed for a 4 year old with a rich yellow hue. Sweet worked fruits on the nose and a soft / mild dusty oak character. Oak is a bit more noticable on the nose (think wood spice) but the fruit depth is a good match. Fruits are again worked, sweet and powerful, with tinge of citrus and minerals. Not sure if will get a lot better and quite seductive now.

Langrein 2005 (April 2010) - Recommended
Hard to tell if this is a bit under-ripe (ie plenty of nettles and minerally cherry fruit) but there is no doubt the lighter fruit weight delivers real character to this wine. Plus, these traits are not out of place in examples from Trento. Some darker fruits kick in late but for the most part wonderful fluffy fruits, minerals and zing drive the wine. Much better than the 2004 and on par with the 2001. Looks good at 5yrs. Drink 2010 - 2012.

Lagrein 2004 (Feb 2010)
Maybe on the decline at 6 years of age? If so only very early stages but I guess the variety was never going to be a cellaring hero. Very true to text book and perhaps more so than the 2001. Light dancing cherry fruit with a zingy mineral underlay. Not miles away from light weight pinot noir. So light and elegant I'm prepared to accuse it of being underfruited (but not lacking ripeness). Drink up.

Langrein 2001 (May 2003) - Recommended
Very rare wine by Australian standards. BTW beautifully presented bottle and label. Medium red appearance with a nice fade to a lighter red. Aromas of sour cherry and some meaty funky notes led to a complex long palate. More sour cherry notes but done in a way that is rarely seen in pinot. Some spritzyness early but did disipate. Spicy notes with some tannin but fairly light. The sour cherry notes are quite awesome - dont want to get over-awed by the novelty of the wine but this is a very good drop.