Riposte By Tim Knappstein 2014 "The Dagger" Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir

"En garde!"

I can't fence, (either with a blade, or repairing that piece of timber between my house and my neighbours).  However I do like it when people refuse to be bound by expectations and respond with a sharp wit. No pun intended....(actually there is!)

Tim Knappstein created the label Riposte, (meaning among other things, a counterstroke in fencing), in response to selling his wine brand to the giant international beverage company Lion Nathan. No doubt there were some restrictions on him trading in the w

ine industry afterwards, especially when it came to how he used his name on a wine label. Such are the ways of big business, and Tim has replied with a sense of mirth and style.

The fruit for this wine is all Adelaide hills, which produces some lovely cool climate Pinot Noir characters, but usually for a lot more money than the Knappsteins are asking. The oak is restrained, which helps keep the wine fruit-driven, with minimal tannins, whilst also keeping the cost down. This is why its so affordable to those of us who can't fence. Clever stuff Mr Knappstein.

Without a fencing mask upon your face, it's easy to stick your nose in the glass and smell all those lovely mixture of dried fruits and spice notes. This is a soft Pinot Noir with juicy Raspberry, Bloodplum, and Cherry flavours. There are some herb and vegetal characters with a touch of nutmeg. It has some nice soft tannins due to time spent in older French oak, and it finishes with some gentle acidity. The fruit has not been whole-bunch pressed which has minimised the stalky characters present in some Pinot Noir. You either love or hate that character. I enjoyed them not being present in this wine.  Overall, this is a wine to truly saber, sorry, I meant savour.

For 2014 vintage, I recommend drink while young and vibrant, (till 2018), with some ripe Brie. I paid $20 and thought it was a bargain.

Time to go fix the fence!

Cave De Lugny 2012 Macon-Villages Chardonnay

"Bargain Basement Burgundy Blanc"

Burgundy offers some of the greatest examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the planet, and the prices often asked reflects that, and keeps many of their wines firmly out of the grasp of Monsieur and Madame Average.

This wine is a simple but honest example of a Chardonnay from Macon-Villages, a sub region of Burgundy, (Bourgogne), in France. The price tag is below the radar of the Bourgousie - thankfully.

A blend of Chardonnay from different vineyards throughout Macon, it smacks of typical French minerality.  The colour was pale yellow, indicating subtle use of French oak.  The nose was restrained with suggestions of delicate orange blossom and citrus notes.  There were nice crisp fruit flavours of mandarin, grapefruit, honeysuckle and orange peel that lingered on the palate. Due to the subtle use of French oak, I recommend keeping the dish simple to match the subtle flavours of the wine. We chose to pair it with steamed fish and asparagus, which worked well.

If you have any of this vintage, drink now or keep up to three years. If you don't, then you could probably be picking up a later vintage which, as far as I am aware, is only available from Vintage Cellars, across Australia. I paid $14 for my 2012 vintage.