The terrestrial touch

IN Australian wine circles comments such as "wine is made in the vineyard" or "the most important thing for wine quality is where the roots are", are so common they've almost become hackneyed.

Despite this the French concept of terroir that matrix of climatic, geographic and geological circumstances that they claim makes each region, vineyards within regions and their wines unique is often poo-pooed by New World winemakers or simply dismissed as a clever French marketing spiel.

The Vignerons Association of Orange in NSW on the other hand wholeheartedly embrace the idea of terroir and has recently put out an interesting little booklet entitled just that, Orange Region Terroir seeking to explain the role the different soils, rainfall patterns, temperatures and altitude of the area play in their wines.

The region is dominated by the extinct volcano, Mt Canobolas and with 1500ha of vineyards extending from an altitude of 600 to 1000 metres it is the highest GI (geographic indication) region in Australia. It has a continental climate of mild summers and cold winters and claims to be one of the sunniest cool-climate wine regions in the country with more than nine hours of sunshine per day during the growing season.

Soil age and types vary with elevation, and most have evolved from the volcanic flows of Mt Canobolas and older sediments. The mountain also accounts for the different rainfall patterns within the region.

Interestingly, for a region that has been forging a reputation for its distinctive cooler-climate sauvignon blancs and chardonnays, at the recent Sydney Royal Wine Show only one chardonnay won a bronze while 13 of the region's shirazes, cabernets, merlots, barberas and tempranillos rated medals. Former Rosemount and Southcorp chief winemaker Philip Shaw's 2009 The Idiot Shiraz achieved a gold.

The nearby Hilltops is another emerging high country, cooler-climate region of NSW that is, as they say, punching well above its weight.

Historically, much of the region's fruit has disappeared into multi-regional blends, but in the past 18 months Hilltop wines have won the Jimmy Watson Trophy, the Royal Queensland Wine Show's Stodart Trophy for the best one-year-old red, a top gold at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition and eight other trophies at wine shows around the country including Best Wine of Show at the last three Canberra Regional Wine Shows, not a bad record for a region only 100th the size of the Barossa.

It also just happens to be home to one of my favourite big alternate-variety reds, the voluptuous Freeman Rondinella Corvinamade in the rack-dried style of Italy's Amarone Wines, as well as the exciting Freeman Fortuna white, both now on the wine list here at Smolt.

Here's a look at just a few of the wines from these two regions I've been impressed by recently.

Mayfield Vineyard 2008 Riesling (Orange):

Delicious lime essence nose with the palate beginning to show those lovely developed lime marmalade, toast and honey flavours that age brings to better rieslings, the finish still nicely fresh and vibrant.

Patina 2009 Scandalous Riesling (Orange):

Juicy lime and floral jasmine aromas with the citrus flavours on the soft, low-alcohol palate lifted by a popular dose of residual sugar just lacking a little acid required for this style of riesling to cut, cleanse and refresh the finish.

Swinging Bridge 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Orange):

Polished gold colour with aromas of crushed leaves, herbs and tropical fruits, the ripe tropical, passionfruit flavours coming more to the fore on the palate plus a lick of sweetness providing a popular, nicely refreshing and crisp, slip-down drop.

Angulong Fossil Hill 2010 Pinot Gris (Orange):

A pale coppery/gold colour with dried flowers, banana and some leesy/yeasty aromas which continue through to a pleasingly rich, complex and softly textured palate with hints of honey and smoked almonds adding further interest and complexity to the intense and persistent aftertaste.

Barwang 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Hilltops):

Still a youthful black/purple with good varietal herbal-blackcurrant aromas, the palate similar with added suggestions of charry oak and black olives, firm, tightly concentrated, beautifully balanced, dry and grippy with its best still a few years down the track. An excellent food wine, available locally and, at around $20, great value.

Moppity Vineyard 2008 Reserve Shiraz (Hilltops):

Cloves, pepper, dark plum and liquorice aromas and flavours on a beautifully structured and balanced, mid-weight palate with a deeper underlay of earthiness providing complexity and a lovely, long, savoury finish.