| Spring 2008 Newsletter |
‘Spring 2008 Newsletter’By Peter Rigby The Pannell Family are pleased to invite you to their Spring Release Tastings to be held at the Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club Thursday 21st of August 2008 and South of Perth Yacht Club Friday 22nd of August 2008. To attend please contact the winery direct. A highlight of the ‘Spring Tasting’ will be the opening of five vintages of the Picardy Tete de Cuvee Pinot Noir for your appraisal. This will be a real treat! On the night each order placed will go in the draw to win a magnum of 2002 Shiraz.  The Pannell Family STM THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE February 17, 2008 BEAUTY IN A BOTTLE BY PETER FORRESTAL It’s high time to celebrate Pemberton’s achievements, especially its white wines. The stars have been Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, which have intense flavour and bright, natural acidity. The best Chardonnays have come from Picardy (tight structure, creamy texture, fine minerality). Pannell Family Trial Batch Sauvignon Blancs are also eye-catching. The one red grape that does well in Pemberton is pinot noir. The standout producer has been the Pannell Family’s Picardy. I liken their wines to those of the Mornington Peninsula’s Main Ridge: restrained, even unyielding, when young. But with food (roast duck, veal rib-eye with a deeply flavoured pinot sauce), especially after three to five years in the bottle, they are a revelation. NEW RELEASES2008 PICARDY SAUVIGNON BLANCThis is the first Picardy Sauvignon Blanc from the estate. It is made from three clones of Sauvignon Blanc, each contributing to structure and complexity. It also contains 7% Semillon for texture, mouthfeel and palate length. Bill and Dan found that each of these clones have differing fruit characters, complimented by the Semillon.As with all Picardy wines the fruit for this wine was entirely from the Picardy estate, dry grown, cane pruned and handpicked. Two strains of yeast were used in separate fermentations, enhancing texture and flavour as well as adding to overall complexity. The grapes for this wine were intentionally picked at lower baumes to make a wine with lower alcohol, while retaining fresh delicate flavours reminiscent of the newer styles from Sancerre, thus making a wine of very similar style to the trial batch wines but with better fruit and complexity.2007 PICARDY CHARDONNAYWhile the Pannells have been consciously refining their Chardonnay in recent years (with impressive results), the 2007 vintage couldn’t help but have slightly richer fruit with pronounced varietal characters to the fore – it was that kind of year. This is an eminently approachable wine with attractive depth, mouth-feel and flavour spectrum. Trials with new yeast strains in recent years have created a very impressive, unique Pemberton Chardonnay. On the nose there are very subtle buttery notes overlaid by floral and peach nuances. The palate has a richer structure than the 2006, with quite luscious fruit and gentle citrus on the finish. Secondary characters include lime, hints of mineral, hazel nut, lemon, pear and honey. As in previous years the careful and limited use of oak shows through, extending the palate with a lingering, balanced finish. Perfect with creamy seafood pasta or fresh pan fried dhufish. Bill and Dan believe that this is the best Chardonnay from Picardy so far.2006 PICARDY TETE DE CUVEE PINOT NOIRYear in, year out this is one of the most seductive and complex wines in Western Australia and a proud salute to the marvellous wine alchemists of Burgundy! The TDC is pure Pannell excellence. It offers up a lovely intense fruit infused, earthy bouquet. Aromas of strawberry, ripe cherry, leather and forest floor are a tremendous entrée to a simply beautiful wine. This is a Pinot you really want to cradle in your hand and savour every last drop. The palate is rich and intense with an attractive mouth feel, well supported by powdery tannins, finesse and pure robust fruit. There are tantalising cherry, strawberry, chocolate and gamey characteristics, followed by a finish with terrific length and persistence. A firm, tight and complex wine that will improve over the next five years. Nothing better with duck or a spring lamb roast!  The vineyard PREVIOUS RELEASES2006 PICARDY PINOT NOIRThis is Pinot the way connoisseurs the world over just love the stuff. It is Burgundian through and through and, in my mind, this wine style will always be the apogee of this seductive variety. Rich varietal aroma, pristine ripe fruit, silky yet weighty texture, complex lingering fruit and earth-infused finish…not to mention an irresistible desire to pour another glass! The nose has hints of cedar and leather laced with ripe strawberry, mulberry and subtle smokey, toasted oak. A tantalising palate is refined and offers up opulent red currant, cherry, mushroom, spicy oak and a tell-tale lingering finish loaded with character. There is wonderful balance and weight throughout this mouth-filling wine. Structure is tight with nicely controlled tannins, ensuring reliable medium-term cellar life. This vintage saw the Pannells take their renowned Pemberton Pinots to new levels of excellence. And believe me: the following vintages continue a fabulous ascension. A wine superbly matched with duck or spring lamb. WELL TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN MATE http://hair-o-dog.blogspot.com (USA website) Picardy Pinot Noir, Western Australia- Never, ever did I expect to taste Pinot from Australia this focused and balanced. Undeniably in the Burgundy style, this beautifully made wine features earthy terroir in the nose and elegant balance on the palate. This is one of the few wines made outside of Burgundy that captures the true essence of Pinot 2005 PICARDY SHIRAZThis is a wine that will thrill those who enjoy fruit-infused, seamless, yet robust Shiraz. It offers up plenty of pleasing dark berry characters with subtle earthy complexities, giving it more Rhone like characteristics than most other Australian Shiraz. It goes without saying that the area is very good Shiraz country and 2005 was a year when some of our best fruit was produced from this variety. This wine was aged in top quality Meyrieux small oak barrels to enhance intensity and stability. It has a deep purple-red colour and rich, ripe aromas of black cherry, plum and soft spice. The palate is fleshy, full and is brimming with sweet fruit, spicy nuances and lovely gamey overtones. The tannins are generous but supple. The wine has been further enhanced by the addition of small quantities of Malbec and Viognier. The Viognier adds a little sweetness and smooth mouth feel, while the Malbec adds interesting ripe dark fruit notes to the palate. Try this one with prime beef for the full effect.
THE MELBOURNE AGE -EPICURE UNCORKEDWINE OF THE WEEK Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Ralph Kyte-Powell Picardy Shiraz 2005 The Pannells of Picardy winery, near Pemberton in WA, make unashamedly Francophile-style wines. Subtlety, complexity and savoury charm take precedence over big, ripe, traditional Aussie traits in their wines. This Shiraz illustrates the style well; a complex nose of spice, plum, earth and smokey, vaguely feral aromas. In the mouth it’s medium in body with lovely texture and length of flavour, and ripe tannins underneath. Not in the squeaky clean, sweet-fruited Oz mould, this is full of interest and gets better with each sip. ***** $$Ageing? Drink over five years Food ideas: Venison and other game: sautéed kidneys TASTE FOOD & WINE 2007 (wine Press 2006) MATTHEW JUKES & TYSON STELZER Picardy Shiraz 2005 Find a quiet moment, sit down and turn off the music, because you need to take some time to tune in to this contemplative Shiraz. Its spicy, lithe chassis hums with pepper and plums. Picardy is best known for its Pemberton Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the real secret of the range is this Shiraz. Prices vary wildly, so buy it direct for $20 (www.picardy.com.au). Serious wine at a silly price. 2004 MERLIMONTFans of our big, ripe 2001 Merlimont may find they recognize some of the same power and fruit characters in this wine. In fact the two are quite similar in style. As in past years, this wine is a salute to the classic Bordeaux blend of complementary percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. However unlike some wines that hail from the renowned French wine region, the rich fruit characters in the Picardy blend are invariably more balanced while pronounced. Such is the primary difference in Australian and French styles. Here you will find wild berry, ripe cherry, chocolate, musk and even some violet on the nose, while the palate is heady with soft sweet blackberry, plum and cassis characters. The mouth-feel is opulent and unctuous, laced with gentle tannins, while the finish is long, heavy with lingering fruit and decidedly savoury. This delightful red blend is unmistakably the product of Pemberton and arguably the best defining example of the Bordeaux trio of grapes in the area. Fabulous with lamb or venison!
RIC EINSTEIN, MAY 15, 2007 www.torb.com.au Picardy - Current Releases and More Picardy 2004 Merlimont May 07 The bouquet is more expressive than the 2003 showing coffee oak, mulberry, and menthol. Smooth, unobtrusive, drying tannins combined with distinct fruit to form a medium-weight, supple wine with a solid structure, and an agreeable complexity. Mulberry, milk chocolate, coffee oak and a very sour finish completes the picture… Rated as recommended with *** for value, drink from 2007 to 2012. Sealed with a cork, its $30 direct from the winery. PANNELL FAMILY 2006 MERLOT CABERNETThe latter part of the 2006 vintage was very cool and damp, and the Pannell’s had problems ripening and obtaining the structure in the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that they would have liked. This has produced a wine which did not quite meet the Picardy quality standards so it has been declassified and is offered to the mailing list at $10 per bottle. But don’t be mistaken, this is still a very good wine for the price – indeed better than many merlot cabernet blends at twice the amount! It’s a great early drinking blend. The aromas are of plum, raspberry, liquorice, earth and vanilla oak. Medium bodied, the palate offers up plum, raspberry, tobacco, earth and cedar flavours – all of which have a gentle underlying sweetness, which is surprising for this vintage. Tannins are loose knit and a little grainy and acidity is clean and fresh. Not a heavyweight, but a delicious friendly style for the winter months, and at a fabulous price! Great with a beef roast or hearty stew.*Bill and Sandra, when at Moss Wood, similarly declassified the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon which became the 1978 Moss Wood Dry Red. This wine went on to become known as one of the best value for money wines released from Western Australia.Wine by the GlassFor those of you that enjoy a glass of wine for lunch, but don’t necessarily want to open a whole bottle. We would like to introduce you to a few of our restaurants and cafes that have supported us in ‘wine by the glass’.You can enjoy a glass of Picardy wine at these select restaurants below-Perth MetroVans-Cottesloe-Pinot NoirProntos-Claremont-Merlot CabernetBouchard-West Perth-Merlot CabernetBlue Water Cafe-Cottesloe-Shiraz + Merlot CabSouth WestVasse Cafe-Busselton-Merlot CabernetPemberton Hotel-Pemberton-Merlot CabernetMojos-Bunbury-Trial2 Sauvignon BlancMelbourneVue de Monde- CBD-Chardonnay and Pinot ATTENTION! ATTENTION!Regular mail does not receive all notifications to dinners, tastings and special releases. If you do not wish to miss out, please forward your updated email address to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will keep you in the Picardy loop. |