And the alcohol?

A very respectable 13.8%….

That surprises me. I recall (but may misremember) Halliday commenting on the high alcohol in these wines (but perhaps that was just the grenache). I’ve met the winemaker for this - very passionate young guy with some interesting opinions about avoiding ‘Spanish’ styles.

PS,

Thanks for your comments about my wines. James has only reviewed the previous years release. 2003 was a tough year and I had to let the grapes hang to achieve intensity; more exception than rule. This release wines are all lower in alcohol; 2004 and 2005 vintages are wonderful. I do not avoid ‘Spanish’ style as such my comment was more about defining my wines as McLaren Vale with influence from my place and people. I very often reference the old world for texture, complexity and harmony. It is interesting to note just how diverse the Tempranillo styles are accross Spain. What a glorious grapes. PS I import Spainsh cork; very high quality.

All the best guys - Justin McNamee winemaker Samuel’s Gorge

Hi Justin,

Thanks for your comment. I think I said this in a previous post, but I don’t think it is all that important to make tempranillo like the spanish, but rather make a wine that show some characters of the grape and where it is grown.

I think you’ve got a good balance of both with this release….

Hi Justin,

We met at that sagrantino dinnner in McLaren Vale. I really should organise a delivery of your wines to try what you are doing with tempranillo. I take your point entirely about the diversity of Spanish and Portuguese interpretations of tempranillo, as there is a world of difference in the handling of that grape, and its clones, between different regions.

What I remember from speaking with you at that dinner, and perhaps I’d had too many different sagrantinos, was the challenge for Australian winemakers of using tempranillo in ways that were not simply slavish copies of Spanish winemaking practice, but that made room for the introduction of ‘Austrralian’ character.

To my mind, as someone who has just spent all too much of my own money planting tempranillo outside of Canberra, we have a real opportunity to take this marvellous grape and make something distinctive of it.

Paul

Justine gave my wife and I a bottle of this tempranillo a couple of days before our wedding and I have to say drinking it on the verandah overlooking the Gorge is one of our finest memories of McLaren Vale. Justine is an exceptional winemaker and his tempranillo strikes a note of individuality in a region where ‘big reds’ are just everywhere you look. Visiting the Samuel’s Gorge winery and trying this wine on the verandah while the cooks run around is something everyone should get the chance to do. It makes everything else worthwhile. Thanks Justine and keep at it, please.

I had a bottle of the 2005 of this last week, and it was very tasty.

I’m keen to try the West Cape Howe 2006 tempranillo, which I’ve heard good things about.