Chris Ringland Wines Blindtasted

Introductory comments by Ross Bott, tasting organizer:
Chris Ringland, a native Australian, began making wine at the age of twelve, and it's been his passion ever since. After graduating from Roseworthy College (a Australian wine-centric college comparable to California's UC Davis), he worked at New Zealand wineries for several years, then traveled to California to work the 1987 vintage. In 1988, he returned to Australia to study under Robert O'Callahan of Rockford, one of the leading cult Barossa Valley wineries.

In 1989 he left to found his own winery, called Three Rivers. He made only 60 cases of wine a year, a Shiraz from a vineyard planted in 1910. After Robert Parker gave his 1996 and 1998 vintages 100 points (the wine has gotten four 100s and two 99s in nine vintages), the wine rocketed in price (current vintages run $500+), and the winery became known as the Screaming Eagle of Australia.

In 2002 he began branching out, forming a partnership with Jose Ordonez, an importer of some of the top labels in Spain, to become consulting winemaker at El Nido in the Jumilla region and Alto Moncayo in Campo de Borja. Both these wineries had access to great old vineyards, and the combination with careful winemaking produced immediate stunning results.

In 2005 he began a partnership with another prominent importer, Dan Philips of The Grateful Palate. Philips was one of the first to recognize the undiscovered quality of high end Australian Shiraz and developed early exclusive importing relationships with many of the best Barossa Valley wineries in the mid-1990s. By 1998, he had the Australian boutique market almost cornered and had several very successful years before things began to fragment. During this time, he began a partnership with Sparky and Sarah Marquis, starting a label called Marquis Philips in 2000 which produced a series of remarkable values as well as a few great high end wines. When this partnership broke apart in 2005 he formed a joint company called with Chris Ringland called "R Wines".

R Wines produces a whole range of wines with different creative, colorful and fanciful labels, including the Roogle line (featuring the half Kangaroo-half Eagle that still graces the Marquis Philips bottle), Boarding Pass (which label looks like a train or plane boarding ticket), Strong Arms, Marquis Philips (Philips kept the label after the breakup with Sarah and Sparky), Luchador, Ebeneezer, and others. Although a few of the wines are expensive, many of the wines are quite inexpensive and incredible values.

Ringland is also consulting winemaker at Henry's Drive and III Rings, where he makes both Shiraz and Cab-Shiraz blends. Both are also outstanding and great values. He also advises at Greenock Creek and Rockford. He has another winery joint venture called RBJ with Rolf Binder (the B, of Veritas fame) and Russell Johnson (the J) And, as if he wasn't already busy enough, he's also begun a consulting winemaking project at Piana del Sole in southern Italy.

Tonight we'll explore the recent wines of Chris Ringland, covering a range of R Wines, III Rings, Henry's Drive and also a great example from El Nido.

• 2005 R Wines Shiraz First Class 93 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Group's #1 (my #1) – 13 pts; 4 firsts, 3 seconds, 1 third, 0 last places – dark magenta color; bright, big plum preserves, blackberry, black raspberry and caramel nose; ripe blackberry, boysenberry, tar and dark chocolate palate with depth; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.

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• 2004 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio 91 Points

  Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

  Group's #2 (my #3) – 15 pts.; 1, 2, 4, 0 – dark red violet color; blackberry liqueur, boysenberry, vanilla, hot nose; concentrated, berry, black raspberry and oak palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (70% Mourvedre, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon)

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• 2006 Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red 83 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Padthaway

  Group's #3 (my #6) – 32 pts.; 2, 0, 2, 0 – opaque dark magenta color; charcoal, green peppercorn and olive nose; narrow, charcoal and tart black fruit palate; short-medium finish

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• 2006 3 Rings Shiraz 91 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Group's #4 (my #2) – 35 pts.; 0, 2, 1, 1 – dark magenta color; boysenberry, charcoal, light sage and black fruit nose; baked plum, black fruit, oregano, smoke and charcoal palate; medium finish

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• 2005 Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red 82 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Padthaway

  Group's #5 (my #7) – 43 pts.; 1, 0, 0, 2 – opaque magenta color; somewhat savory, charcoal, graphite and green herbal nose, that changes to roasted plum and tar nose; tart black fruit, tight, charcoal and oregano palate; medium finish

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• 2006 R Wines Shiraz Strong Arms 89 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Group's #6 (my #4) – 45 pts.; 0, 1, 0, 1 – dark magenta color; lavender, ripe black fruit, charcoal, blackberry and vanilla nose; tart blackberry, berry, tar and black fruit palate; medium finish

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• 2007 R Wines Shiraz Strong Arms 81 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Group's #7 (my #8) – 49 pts.; 0, 0, 0, 2 – dark magenta color; deep lavender, blackberry, berry and muddled mint nose; flat, dull, black fruit palate, lacking acid and complexity; short-medium finish

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• 2007 Marquis Philips Sarah's Blend 86 Points

  Australia, South Eastern

  Group's #8 (my #5) – 50 pts.; 0, 0, 0, 2 – opaque dark magenta color; ripe but poised plum, black fruit and lavender nose; tart and ripe berry, black fruit and graphite palate; short-medium finish

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