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Wines of Australia from The Boutique Wine Co.

The Boutique Wine Company is home to Nick Dunning who, having realised that there is a lot more to Australian wine than Penfolds and Jacob's Creek during a breakneck tour of Australia a few years ago, decided to import some of his discoveries into the UK so we could all enjoy them. And so he joined the ever growing band of small, largely online wine merchants who bring real choice and diversity (and quality, too) to the UK wine market, as opposed to the illusions of such attributes offered by the supermarkets.

The list at Boutique Wine is eclectic, featuring small wineries, many family-owned, turning out limited quantities of high quality, richly flavoured, impressive wines. I can say this, because I have tasted a representative selection as shown below, and what I tasted I found invariably to be at least very good, with one or two genuinely excellent wines. This is a list Nick Dunning should be proud of.

It should go without saying, but I will state clearly that I make no profit from sales of these wines. Yes, Boutique Wine is a Winedoctor sponsor, but I am quite happy dishing out appropriately critical reviews. It just wasn't necessary here. (11/5/06)

The Boutique Wine Co. - Tasting Notes

These wines were tasted in May 2006. Click for stockists:

Wayne Thomas Chardonnay Méthode Champenoise 'Elevenses' 2004: Strangely this is labelled as Mèthode Champenoise; it's unusual to find anyone other than the French using this term, and here it is made only more conspicuous by an incorrect accent. A very pale wine, with a quite singular stream of moderately fat bubbles. A decent nose, showing freshness and interest, with crisp green apple skin at first, rounding out to a more peachy, faintly sherbetty character, although that apple nuance persists. Crisp acidity on entry, refreshing as the nose suggests, but showing more tropical fruit character through the mid-endpalate, although always with that green note. Sharp, incisive mousse, in tandem with a slightly fat, cream-soda mouthfeel. Good fizz. 16/20 (£14)

Will Taylor Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills) 2003: Bottled under screwcap. A faint tinge of green on inspection. An appealing nose, with notes of sweet yellow capsicum, creamy green bean (if there is such a thing!) and greengage. This is nicely expressive. A moderately full style on the palate, appealing and flavoursome, with a generous texture for a Sauvignon Blanc. Moderate acidity. Sweet fruit, green edged, but with a more tropical character than was found on the nose. Nice mouthfilling flourish at the end, a touch of complex interest, and even a little persistence. This is very good. 16.5/20 (£13)

Sinclair Swallow Hill Sauvignon Blanc (Manjimup, WA) 2004: Bottled under screwcap. A very pale, almost transparent wine, lightly tinged with green. An aromatic nose, with gooseberry fruit alongside a fresh, green, herbal, grassy character. This is ripe and cheerful. Cool, fresh style on the palate, with an appropriate weight, and nicely rounded edges. A little complex earthiness alongside the green, crisp fruit. Lovers of the zippy style of Sauvignon will find plenty of pleasure in this wine. This is very good. 16/20 (£11.50)

Bidgeebong Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2003: An attractive golden hue. A pleasingly subtle nose, displaying just a little leafy melon fruit. A nice fat texture apparent on entry, immediately countered by some vibrant, positively zippy, crisp acidity. Peach and pear fruit, leafy and fresh in style, with a little talcy-mineral quality coming through on the back of the palate. A touch of mint as well. What oak has been employed in bringing up this wine has clearly been applied by a gentle hand. How refreshing. Short finish. For current drinking. 16/20 (£12)

Will Taylor Riesling (Clare Valley) 2003: Bottled under screwcap. A mid-golden hue, tinged with green. This has a note of pencil eraser rubber at first, possibly a reduced sulphur compound resulting from bottling under screwcap; this is also found on the palate, but with exposure to air for an hour or so this aroma resolves. Otherwise there is no detriment to the wine; it has a very intense lime pickle and steel character on the nose that I have found in Clare Valley wines before, and have come to think of as typical for the region. Rather flamboyant and rich style on the palate, but with a piercingly fresh character. Full bodied, slightly grippy, well constructed example. Fine limey character and plenty of fresh acidity. Has a little persistence. This is very good. Would certainly age, although I am not sure how the reductive character would develop. 16.5+/20 (£13.99)

O'Shea & Murphy Rosebery Cabernets (Piper's Creek, Victoria) 2000: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this has quite obvious maturity on inspection, showing a deep red-russet-mahogany tone, with just moderate intensity. The nose is evidently mature also, with notes of macerated raspberry, smoke and black pepper, and a little toffee reflecting this wine's eighteen months in French oak. Also some appealing little notes of cooked mint, probably Cab Franc derived. Full, slightly creamy entry, with sweet macerated fruit on the midpalate. Nicely textured, a little bitter grip in the finish, acidity on the low side. Sweet, fairly generous wine with unexpected maturity, perhaps down to the time spent in oak. It has a short finish, but it has plenty of appeal up to this point. Very good. 16.5/20 (£16)

O'Shea & Murphy Shiraz (Piper's Creek, Victoria) 2002: This has a much more vibrant hue than the Rosebery, with a reassuring, dark purple-red hue. Deep, brooding, slightly gamey fruit on the nose, with some horsey farmyard notes at first, but this yields to a more appealing wealth of brooding, brambly fruit peppered with hot charcoals, although still with a furry character which I find appealing. Rather an elegant style on the palate, with reserved damson fruit presented on a bed of fresh acidity and a lick of tannin. This is a fine and attractive wine, fresh and drinkable, with a little length too. Very good indeed. 17/20 (£17)

Boston Bay Shiraz (Eyre Peninsula, SA) 2001: Bottled under screwcap. A really deeply coloured wine this one, exhibiting a rich, red-black hue with only a little fading at the rim. The nose is intriguing and quite complex, and over the course of a few glasses it entranced with aromas of white chocolate, creamy vanilla and macerated raspberry fruit, and then dark chocolate and mint. And then toasty, smoky, blackberry fruit, pepper and flower petals. This remarkably complex nose is followed by a rich and creamy attack, showing delightful extract, with rather quiet acidity, yet a fine elegance that makes this a delight to drink. There is a very minor presence of supple tannins, very much a background feature, and smoky raspberry fruit. Just a little length. An impressive and seductive wine, for short-term drinking. 18/20 (£17.99)

Wayne Thomas Cabernet Sauvignon (McLaren Vale) 2004: A dark, vibrant, purple hue, with a shocking pink rim. A seductive fruit-driven nose, full of blackcurrant juice with fresh orange and strawberry notes, with little pepper nuances. Toasty, dark caramel traces as well. Very fresh entry, obviously fairly rich and quite succulent, but with fine acidity as well. In fact this is very well presented on the palate, with a ripe, supple character balanced by the acidic structure, and the whole package maintains a suitably elegant detachment. Some dark fruit persistence as well. Very good indeed. It should show well for several years, but is just fine for current drinking. 17/20 (£16, currently the 2003 vintage is offered)

Wayne Thomas Petit Verdot (McLaren Vale) 2004: A really dark and glossy appearance here, a vibrant raspberry red rim around a purple-black core. The nose is fairly muted at first, but then begins to reveal little notes of black fruit, quite brooding in character, with side notes of black pepper and chocolate, white flower petals and perhaps a tweak of tar. Gorgeously seductive palate, rounded and a little creamy, but with a firm core of extract, and a seam of grippy, charcoaly tannins beneath this. Rich, brooding, but fresh and balanced too. Succulent in the beginning, but showing quite firm structure through the midpalate, and those tannins linger in a most promising manner on the finish. This has potential, without a doubt, but is delightful now. 17.5/20 (£19)

Wayne Thomas Shiraz (McLaren Vale) 2004: Perhaps just a slightly deeper colour here, a deep, purple, concentrated appearance, extending right out to the rim. The nose offers some bramble fruit, presented in a brooding and yet paradoxically vibrant style, with notes of white chocolate and black pepper. Creamy presence on the palate, nicely balance, showing rich fruit again with a welcome presence of acidity. This is impressive, firmly put together, yet supple and seductive. The tannins are succulent and super-ripe, providing a little backbone but otherwise they act quite subtly. Finishes well, with some length. Very good indeed. 17.5/20 (£16, currently the 2003 vintage is offered)