NobleRottersSydney - Taylors wines with Mitchell Taylor

Wines tonight were supplied by the guest of honour, Mitchell Taylor, of the eponymous family winery in the Clare Valley.
It was interesting to hear the story of the Clare-inspired re-launch of the screwcap in Australia from a man who was there at the time. Dreamed up at a hotel dinner meeting of the Clare Winemakers Association when the conversation consisted largely of complaints about the effect unreliable corks were having on their wines, the fifteen-odd makers vowed to bottle at least part of their 2000 vintage (a pretty tough year as it turned out) under screwcap closure. Even the small-scale success of the Vintage Cellars inspired ‘Cellaring Initiative’ release of screwcap-sealed 1998 and 1999 Richmond Grove Rieslings wasn’t enough to convince everyone of the commercial viability of the step they were about to make, and Taylors was one of only three makers to commit to bottling their entire Riesling vintage under the new closure. The necessity to act together was partly a question of presenting a united front for added credibility, and partly driven by the need for a large enough joint bottle order (from France) to make the exercise financially feasible as individual makers. The rest is history of course, as the vignerons were surprised to see demand for the screwcap-sealed product outstrip all predictions.

• 2007 Taylors Riesling Jaraman

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 13%, A$20} Includes some Eden Valley Fruit. The Jaraman has youthful floral, even musky aromas with only a dash of lime about them. It’s all very Eden valley. The palate is soft and a bit chalky, with sweetly ripe apple and citrus fruits. Despite the generous texture and overall impression of softness, the length is surprisingly persistent. There’s not much weight past the mid-palate, and the acidity is quite gentle. Generally fruit-driven rather than structure-dominated, but a pleasant early drinker.

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• 2007 Taylors Riesling St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, ~12%, A$30} Pre-release tasting. The St Andrews is a very different animal [to the 2007 Jaraman]. Off old vines, and picked quite early (11.5ºBé), it’s very much a cellaring style. A youthful, clean all-Clare citric nose with steely support precedes a palate of acid-framed lime and citric fruits. There’s a pungent minerality to the weighty mid-palate. Full-bodied for a riesling, it’s zesty, almost strident in its brightness. Completely without charm at present, it augers well for a long future, as the 2001 proves...

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• 2001 Taylors Riesling St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 13%} Still lemon in colour, and only a shade or two darker than its 2007 vintage brethren. The nose blossoms with developing aromas; mead, honey on toast, and burnished citric touches. Quite a show. The palate is just as much a showstopper; a palate evenly filled with dry, yet honey-flavoured citric fruits. Medium-bodied, persistent, adroitly combining youthful fruit and aged development, with acid gloriously carrying the flavours, this is just a stunning example of what Clare is capable of. Ought to live another ten years, and a real advertisement for riesling under screwcap as well. Quite outstanding.

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• 2002 Taylors Merlot St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 14%, A$60} From young vines planted in the late 90s, and made using the services of Australian merlot guru James Irvine as consultant, this offers developing aromas of raspberry, plums and red jam. There’s a smear of vanillan oak there too; ‘polished’ describes the nose well. The palate doesn’t quite live up to the promise; the developed fruit flavours a bit simple, the acid a bit spiky, the tannins soft. There’s aging plummy fruit, but the core of the palate seems a bit hollow, and a faintly metallic twang to the finish jars as well. Medium-bodied, but fades beyond the mid-palate. Not a bad wine, but seriously over-priced.

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• 2005 Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon Jaraman

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 14.5%, A$28} Includes Coonawarra fruit. This is an attempt to marry the structure of Coonawarra fruit with the mid-palate richness of Clare. The nose is all blackcurrant and blackberries, with rich oak, and just a touch of herb/green cabernet. A medium weight wine all round; acid, tannin, intensity of flavour all weigh in equally, but it does actually feel a little constructed on the palate. Perhaps it’s just young and greater integration will come, but now it’s almost less than the sum of its parts. The fruit flavours are not ungenerous, but they cluster together on the front palate. Another five years age might help, but I don’t think it’s a long term prospect.

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• 2003 Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 14.5%, A$50} The 2003 cabernet has a pronounced Clare note of menthol and spearmint overlaying dark berry fruit aromas. The palate screams ‘new-world-cool-climate’ with those dark-fruited, almost olive-like flavours, riding a drying palate of chalky tannins and medium weight. Of medium intensity, it’s a good varietal example of the Clare style which avoids too much of a mid-palate dip, and offers the promise of mid-term aging at least. Still no bargain, however.

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• 2004 Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 14.5%, A$50} The 2004 ruby-coloured youthful wine seems riper and fleshier than 2003, with a more curranty note on the nose which nevertheless doesn’t submerge the olive-green Clare character. Somewhat oaky on the palate too, with strong chalky tannins easily buffeting the ripe currant fruit. It’s a bit of a brute now, to the point where I imagine in the end the structure will leave the fruit behind. Minimal development so far; medium length finish and more even palate says it will reach greater heights than the 2003, but still inside 10 years.

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• 1998 Taylors Shiraz St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {cork, 14.9%} The 1998 wine has developing aromas, with a big, soft, almost seductive nose of upholstered ripe red fruit with touches of coconut, smoke and tobacco. The tannins and acids have softened out on the palate, and this is now a big cuddly luscious wine, warm with vanillan oak infusions, fuzzy grape tannins, and a warmth and richness that belie its Clare heritage. Not exactly cerebral, it must be said, but a satisfyingly rich warm mouthful of wine at its peak now.

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• 1999 Taylors Shiraz St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {cork, 14.5%} The 1999 by contrast [to the 1998] is a pungently earthy shiraz, with spicy white pepper aromas. The alcohol says ripeness wasn’t a factor, but the aromas contradict that… The palate is more advanced than 1998, with a warm finish apparent here at the end of a lean, mean palate of drying tannins and spicy fruits that lack depth and length. Falls away beyond the mid-palate and ultimately finishes a bit hollow.

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• 2002 Taylors Shiraz St Andrews

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  {screwcap, 15%} The 2002 is a clear generation younger than the 90s wines, with black, inky, iodine aromas and rich choco-vanilla undertones. The palate is ripe, very ripe, verging on raisin-like in flavour, with low-medium acidity, lots of powdery tannins, and a crashing wave of hot fruit that lands on the front palate and recedes after that. Manages a medium length finish, but it lacks charm and will probably only be a short-term prospect.

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