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Chardonnay's new breed
...Margaret River in Western Australia still wears the mantle of our most consistent chardonnay region. Today, a number of stylistically different chardonnays, such as Picardy, come from the cooler Pemberton region...
2007 Picardy Chardonnay, Pemberton, WA
A pure and precise wine but in no way simple. A platform of intense fruit flavours receives sympathetic winemaking which adds character and complexity. Balance is the key, with a drive of flavour and a wondrous grapefruit acidity on the finish.
www.smh.com.au/executive-style/culture/chardonnays-new-breed-20090518-b8mr.html |
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Picardy Shiraz 2007 Pemberton
Mineral, interesting scents and some development. Lovely balance. Really sophisticated! Surely cool climate? Exceptionally good winemaking. So subtle and satisfying. Surely the hand of a Pannell? Vibrant and different and so fresh. Good now and in the future...Succulent.
Don't write off Australia!...There were also surprisingly few over- the- top Shirazes, and some real eye- opening sophisticates such as the Picardy wine...
Drink 2008-13. 18 POINTS |
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Wine of the Week
Picardy Shiraz, Pemberton 2008
The famous Pannell family (founders of Moss Wood before Picardy) plough onward, conquering new challenges as they go. Perhaps global warming is helping but they now seem capable of making superb shiraz, as well as pinot noir and chardonnay, in Pemberton. Lovely cool-grown spicy fragrance, with smoky pepper and riper spice notes. It's medium-full bodied and intense, but finely structured, natural-tasting and light, with impeccable harmony, line and silken texture. A thoroughly delicious drink. Now to 10-plus years. Natural cork. 94/100.
Food Softer cheeses such as taleggio and Milawa Gold; lighter meats from chicken and game birds to veal and pork. |
“Australian Wines with a French Accent”
April 2010
By Franz Scheurer
The Pannell Family are pleased to invite you to their Spring Release Tastings to be held in Applecross, Wednesday 12th of May 2010 and Dalkeith foreshore Thursday 13th of May 2010 (please email
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for your private invitation). A highlight of the ‘Autumn Tasting’ will be the opening of five vintages of the Picardy Shiraz for your review.
Remember on the night, each order placed will go in the draw to win a magnum of 2003 Shiraz.
The Pannell family’s notes on the 2008 vintage:
The weather in 2008 was very kind to our grapes. It was predominantly dry, with near perfect ripening temperatures, resulting in small berries. This is exactly what we were looking for to achieve a good skin to juice ratio in the fermenters for our red wines. Vigorous crop thinning helped us achieve the desired yield per hectare as well as flavours and baumé levels (the measure of sugar content).
We believe that 2008 wines from Picardy are the best wines for each variety that we have released so far.
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