New releases come out to play

A handful of tiny vineyards I hadn't come across before were among the winemakers at the first annual Alexandra Basin winegrowers' new-release tasting at Labour Weekend in Clyde.

Several people who have a hectare or two of grapes are now producing their own labels, like John and Pam Chapman at the historic Como Villa in Earnscleugh Rd, Wayne and Mary Ashton's Faisandier at Sunbury Park, famous for its dried apricots, and Chris and John Cockroft of Clyde Village who produce a dense, spicy pinot ($29) in an old apricot orchard on the hill behind Clyde.

Many of the wines are made by Fred Reinds or Kevin Clark at Earnscleugh Road winery, set up in 2004 by Russell Clayton, or by Antony Worch at William Hill winery. Others, like Leaning Rock and the larger, long-established Black Ridge, have their own wineries.

It was also good to renew some older acquaintances such as with Mark Hesson and Dhana Pillai, of Leaning Rock, who have been tending their tiny vineyard in Hillview Rd for nearly 20 years. The benefits of vine age is showing in the wines, especially their tense, limey '08 riesling ($24) and their vibrant '07 pinot noir ($35).

I enjoyed several of the minerally, taut gewurztraminers on show, particularly Leaning Rock's powerful '07 ($24), Kenley Vineyard's fragrant '09 ($20), Dry Gully's '09, that hints of the thyme that grows around the vineyard, and the attractive Hawkdun Rise '09.

Alexandra gewurztraminers tend to be more food-friendly and less blowsy than those from northern areas.

Most wineries at the event were showing pinot noir. Compared with the big, fruity wines from the Lake Dunstan area, Alexandra pinot tends to be lighter and more elegant and, as a result, perhaps more versatile with food. However, some were bolstered by a good dollop of oak and heavy extraction, producing bigger, if slightly clumsier, wines.

Some good-value pinots are to be found, particularly among the smaller producers. I enjoyed the dense, charming Faisandier '08 ($23) from Sunbury Park, Alex Ridgeback '08 ($25) from Pat and Judy Medlicott of Greylands Ridge, the floral but oaky Perseverance '08 ($22) from Murray and Jenny Hughes' vineyard at Muttontown, the rich, velvety Aravin '08 ($24), and the more widely available Pick and Shovel '08 ($20).

Among the pinots in the $30-$40 price bracket, it's worth trying the complex Judge Rock '06, the mellowed Dry Gully '06 (bottle age makes a difference), the aromatic, rich but elegant Hawkdun Rise '08, the charming, long Drumsara Ventifacts Block '08, the big, textural Hinton '07, and 8 Ranges' spicy '08 Barrel Selection.

In the midst of the pinots and tight, herby pinot gris on show, it was a change to come across the oaky '08 chardonnay ($20) and firm, smoky cabernet sauvignon '08 ($23) from Black Ridge, one of the oldest vineyards in the area. Cabernet may not be the best-suited variety for the region, but it's certainly as characterful as its owners, Verdun Burgess and Sue Edwards, two of the area's wine pioneers.