Our intrepid explorer Down Under, Roger Jones of the Harrow Inn, files this report from Adelaide, despite Vodafone UK's strugglng to keep up with the technological demands of visiting cricket fans (calling in 'sick' to their offices?). He tells me that old label Krug at the Hyatt has provided some comfort.
Here is the story behind two South Australian labels with an interesting background, one with a high profile name and a humble family background and the other owned by a humble family man but with two high profile guys making the wines.
Mitolo is one of the top names from the McLaren Vale, based some 40 minutes south of Adelaide, and is associated with the great winemaker Ben Glaetzer. However the grapes sourced for these icon wines are all from private vineyards run by an Italian family.
In his search for the perfect wine, Frank Mitolo [scion of one of Australia’s most successful vegetable trading families- JR] set out to find the very best that McLaren Vale could provide and met up with the Lopresti family who had been providing grapes for Tatachilla’s awesome Foundation Shiraz in the 1990s.
Don Lopresti had run a successful restaurant in the area for 20 years before building up his vineyards over the next 20 years and together with his sons Joe and Michael are now the proud owners of these fertile vineyards. These guys are the salt of the earth. Don’t cross them but work with them and you will get no better. I had the privilege of sitting in the vineyard with them, together with Frank Mitolo, over a typical breakfast of homemade salami and antipasti with ice-cold beers. [I too had the salami experience – in a sort of mobile home by the vineyards? Talk about salt of the earth – though I know what you mean about not crossing them. JR]
Joe Lopresti now carefully manages these vines. His knowledge and understanding of these grapes is second to none and he knows exactly the quality that Frank expects and Ben Glaetzer needs for this superb collection of wines.
The wines are Mitolo Jester, Mitolo G.A.M., Mitolo Savitar, Mitolo Serpico
The 2005s were released last autumn to much world acclaim.
Not content with providing grapes for [some of? JR] the very best red wines from the region, the Lopresti family also provide Chardonnay grapes for the award winning Fox Creek winery. One word of warning: don’t try and turn up here for a visit - the guard dogs take no prisoners.
Now we come to the unsung hero, John Edwards of Mount Billy, a dentist by trade, who has loved wine all his life. When he bought his house and plot of land overlooking Victor Harbor in the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia he found that sheep were too much work and was persuaded by a friend to plant Chardonnay and Petit Meunier in what is known as the No Secrets vineyard due to its stillness.
Not content with these grapes he has also over the years sourced Riesling grapes from the Clare, Barossa and Eden Valley, and Shiraz from the west Barossa. Now we come to the clever bit, to make his white wines he has employed Pete Schell of Spinifex and for his reds Dan Standishof Standish Wine Company and Massena.
John’s wines are sold under the Mount Billy label. We enjoyed a full tasting of his wines together with Pete Schell and Dan Standish at The Flying Fish restaurant in Port Elliot. The Flying Fish lunch must rate as our best meal to date on this trip, a stunning location at the seaside packed with winemakers on holiday from the heat of the Barossa.
Among many highlights of the lunch:
Mt Billy Valleys Riesling 2005 Eden & Clare a blend of 50% from each area, one giving clean mineral and lime, the other giving some funky fruit and toast, a truly superb wine. However this was overshadowed by the Mt Billy Valleys Riesling 2002 (Barossa & Clare) which could this be the finest Riesling I’ve tasted so far? (This will have to wait as I still have a few more areas to visit including Tasmania) . This 2002 was toasty and rich in fruit, great depth and a hint of oil on the background, quite remarkable.
Of the Chardonnays, two complete different styles: the Mt Billy Chardonnay 2006 was Chablisstyle and needed food to bring out all its qualities,but the Mt Billy Chardonnay 2004 was a copy of the great Pierro Chardonnay of Margaret River.
John has a ‘Krug style’ champagne on the way, aged in oak, he was not prepared to show me at this stage (we drank a delicious Vilmart 1989 before lunch instead).
Of the reds the highlight was the Mt Billy Antiquity Shiraz 2001 made from 109 year old vines. This was very good indeed: long, luscious liquorice flavours, hints of fresh vanilla, chocolate, perfectly balanced fruit – a real star. Other highlights included Dan’s Massena Barbera/Dolcetto 2005.
The meal was triumphantly finished with a Mt Billy Cordon Cut Chardonnay, a perfect dessert wine. Some of Mt Billy’s wines are brought into the UK by David Thomas of Cellar Door, Overton.
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