Lark Hill Winery Reviews;
James Halliday-Wine Companion 2012
5 Stars
2010 Grüner Veltliner 94/100
2009 Shiraz Viognier 94/100
2010 Auslese Riesling 95/100, listed in 'Best of Variety; Riesling'
Nick Stock-Good Wine Guide 2012
5 Stars
2011 Riesling 93/100 'Best of the Rest, Riesling'
2011 Viognier 92/100 'Best value white'
2011 Grüner Veltliner 93/100, 'Best Emerging Variety'
2010 Grüner Veltliner 92/100
2008 Chardonnay 91/100
2010 Shiraz Viognier 94/100 'Best of the Rest, Shiraz & Blends'
2008 Sparkling Rose 92/100
2011 Riesling
"Seriously good nose on this, lime, honeysuckle, citrus rind, attractive florals and a touch of wet stone minerality. The palate is all about concentrated limes, some grapefruity tang and really precise and long acids on the dry finish. One for the long haul if you have space in the cellar."
2011 Grüner Veltliner;
"I was a big fan of the 2010, so happy to see this on form if not in better shape. At its core, there’s an essence of lime drenched in white pepper as well as tinned peach and celery.What is so fabulous though is the deep-rooted minerality, it’s got that wet paving essence down pat and keeps you coming back for another sniff.What I admire is the viscosity that paves the way for the fruit to unfurl through the palate delivering a laser beam of lime, apple and other fruity ephemera. That texture turns into a clearly defined acid structure while the fruit keeps on delivering flavour long after the last sip. I would love to see this wine with food and I’d also love t see it with some age. Stellar job."
2010 Shiraz Viognier;
Sexy nose, it’s perfumed to the hilt in phoney Rhoney way. That’s not to dismiss it, this shows Canberra’s ability to consistently turn out a Côte-Rôtie style with an Australian bent.
It’s captivating stuff, a gorgeous tapestry of red fruits, roses, violets and white pepper. Search underneath and there’s cinnamon and cardamom lurking and what I’d call a meaty pan juice essence. The Viognier adds to this lift with a sweetness, but it’s not distracting.
The palate shows more of the redcurrant flavour infused with a bovine charm, like a medium rare steak. There’s a suppleness and a sexy, savoury sensation before very stylish acids fill out the finish. Boy does it persist too, there’s some real spicy length that keeps on delivering well after you’ve taken a sip. I love it. It’s nicely affirming to see a style like this but I imagine only a small amount was produced, so if you see it around, jump on it.
2011 Riesling;
What sort of riesling do we get from Canberra’s highest, coolest vineyard in a wet, cool growing season? Probably the sort of riesling Lark Hill made in previous cool periods. It’s pale coloured and aromatic in a pure, minerally, lemon-citrus way. The minerality and lemon-citrus flavours come through, too, on a pure, scintillating palate of great delicacy. High acidity accentuates the fruit flavour.
2011 Grüner Veltliner
Following a suggestion from Jancis Robinson, a visit to Austria tasting its signature variety – and the fortuitous discovery of two vines in Tasmania – the Carpenters of Lark Hill propagated Grüner veltliner from cuttings, then planted 1,000 vines in 2005. The Carpenters say the wine sits in style somewhere between the delicacy of Riesling and opulence of chardonnay. The third vintage, from the cool, wet 2011 vintage, says they’re on a winner. It’s a pale lemon-green colour, with an appealing aroma like melon rind and spice and a full, richly textured palate, with a refreshing line of acidity.
2011 'Dark Horse Vineyard' Viognier
Today’s wine story discusses the Carpenter family’s recent purchase of the Dark Horse Vineyard, Murrumbateman. The acquisition gives them a stake in the main game in town – shiraz – and its sometimes fermentation companion, viognier. But viognier has a life of its own, too. In this case it’s a comparatively low-alcohol version (12.5 per cent), fermented with wild yeast. At this level of ripeness, viognier doesn’t present its full-bore, apricot-like flavour or viscosity. It’s a far more subtle wine, richly textured but not over the top, with an echo of apricot and ginger.
2008 Chardonnay
If Lark Hill makes chardonnay this good in a warm year, then we’ve much to look forward to in the 2011, now bubbling away in barrels at the winery. At three years the 2008 seems barely to have begun life, it’s so vibrant, youthful and alive with juicy, ripe varietal flavour. The palate has breadth, depth and rich texture – attributable, says winemaker Chris Carpenter, to glycerol from an indigenous yeast fermentation and extended contact with yeast lees after fermentation. High natural acidity, however, tightens the structure and, in combination with the pure, intense fruit flavour, suggests a long, graceful evolution with bottle age.
2010 Shiraz Viogier
Grown at Murrumbateman and made at Lark Hill, this wine combines shiraz and the white variety viognier (six per cent of the blend) fermented together. It’s a highly fragrant combination, inspired by the wines of Cote-Rotie in France’s northern Rhone Valley. In the 2010 vintage the floral, spicy and peppery aromas and flavours come with a marked savoury streak and quite firm tannins. That’s firm in a slinky, elegant, medium-bodied context. It builds in interest over time – always a good sign.
2011 Riesling;
So, I am going to say nice things again about another Lark Hill wine. This time their 2011 riesling. It is a departure from the dominant Australian Clare Valley/Eden Valley riesling style, in that it has an almost outlandish vibrancy of citrus flavour. The colour of their 2011 is somewhere between water and lemon green. On the nose, a clean and lively fragrance of apples, pears, lemon zest and green stone fruits. On the palate, high acidity, medium length, lime, a touch of petillance and spices. What makes this wine different and worth tasting is that combination of spices with intensely flavoured lemon and lime notes. 87 points.
2011 Grüner Veltliner;
Lark Hill is one of a handful of wineries in Australia who fashion a wine from the Austrian grape, grüner veltliner. Judging by the excellent 2010 the biodynamically managed Lark Hill are on to something with this variety in the cool Canberra District. 2011 is described by winemaker Chris Carpenter as a challenging year, with significant rains in Spring and a generous fruit set, a cool Summer and a mild Autumn. The wine however does not disappoint - quite the opposite in fact - the vintage conditions allowing a pure, minerally version of the varietal to be expressed. In short, this wine is very much recommended. In slightly longer form, the 2011 is somewhere between clear and lemon-green in colour, with a clean, elegant aroma with a touch of peaches, attractive minerality and spice. On the palate, there is firm but not too firm acidity, coupled with spices and nice length. Balanced and enjoyable are words that come to mind, and at a low alcohol level too. And frankly it's just nice to be drinking something a bit different that works. 89 points.
2011 Viognier;
Viognier can be a difficult grape to get right. It more often than might be hoped for can result in a wine with an alcohol level that is unbalanced relative to its fruit (towards and sometimes over "15"), and can be bitter too. Lark Hill's 2011 viognier from their "Dark Horse" vineyard in the Murrumbateman sub-region of the Canberra District happily does not fall into these traps. Lemon-green in colour, it has an aroma of spice, lemon pith and apricot kernel. On the palate, a viscous texture together with notes of apricot, spice and oil. Good length too. There is a subtlety and delicacy that distinguishes this viognier, particularly having tasted a couple of more brute like versions from the Yarra Valley recently. Recommended. Perhaps there is something in the region, as I like Clonakilla's viognier too, and this one is $20 less. 88 to 89 points.
Winewise Magazine;
2011 Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner closely resembles Riesling in its delicacy and high acid profile but is characteristically punctuated by spicy aromas and flavours and a minerally (and even slightly phenolic) texture. The Lark Hill example is true to the variety and is the third vintage the Carpenters (with the help of their winemaker son, Chris) have produced. They pioneered Grüner Veltliner in Australia with the 2009 vintage. My notes read: "Lovely spicy/floral aromas, vibrant and lifted. Very delicate palate with very good intensity, nice chalky texture and fresh limey acidity". (Screwcap) Highly Recommended
2010 Shiraz Viognier
It's a beguiling nose, an unusual one. One moment it's lush, brambly and glossy, the smoky stems and juicy apricot Viognier fruit topping things off nicely. The second whiff is all herbal violets and a hint of prosciutto. Dandelions too. It's a moveable target, an oddly marginal nose given the recent run of warm Canberra vintages, but still something to savour. The palate starts sweetly though, with vanilla bean oak that descends into red cherry liqueur fruit. From there it gets darker, stemmer, stalkier before finishing with smoky dark tannins. Lots of intrigue on this high toned palate, with the late hit of peachy Viognier juiciness prettying up the finish.
Interesting wine this and a very solid result from an odd vintage. 17.7/92+
2011 Grüner Veltliner
Just a few (3) vintages down now and already kicking goals. I can't say I love this as much as the 2010 iteration, though it's still a wine with plenty of appeal. All that is missing in fact is that peppery, pear varietal edge that many similarly styled - say Federspiel level - Austrian Grüners show. It's a character that should come with more vine age though (so the future looks assured). vJust a few (3) vintages down now and already kicking goals. I can't say I love this as much as the 2010 iteration,though it's still a wine with plenty of appeal. All that is missing in fact is that peppery, pear varietal edge that many similarly styled - say Federspiel level - Austrian Grüners show. It's a character that should come with more vine age though (so the future looks assured).
What I found most curious about this wine was how Riesling-esque it was. And Clare Valley Riesling-esque at that, with ripe melon and lime fruit over a quite ripe, soft and rounded mid palate before finishing with pithy lemony acidity. It has this lovely lusciousness and generosity that Grüner does so well, but it still says 'I can't believe I'm not a Riesling'. Regardless, I still enjoyed my glass and the label is absolutely one to watch. 17.4/91
2011 Riesling
It always seems like a privilege to taste a Lark Hill wine seeing as they’re not readily available in Western Australia. In addition, most of the Australian Rieslings I taste are from Great Southern or Clare or Eden, so it’s always nice to try one from a bit further east. The last Lark Hill wine I tasted (Viognier) was unfortunately most likely suffering from bottle shock/jetlag/DVT, so I purposely left this Riesling to settle.
Gentle wisps of green apple, lemon peel and slate communicate what is a very pristine, serene style of Riesling. In the mouth, it is both crystalline and focussed; as if sucking on a piece of quartz that has been splashed with lime juice. Complexity is not the focus here, as is often the case with good Riesling. Flavours of Granny Smith and citrus linger in tandem with acidity that is striking, but not oppressive. Interestingly, I’ve tasted green apple in all four Lark Hill whites that I have tasted.
I really don’t see the need to cellar this wine. I think any more bottle age would just distract from its purity. That said, a ten year old example would be a completely different wine with its own merits. Classic Riesling pairings – Thai, fish, oysters. An effortless strike in the net for the underdog 2011 vintage.
Excellent