Nugan Estate: Awesome Australian Wines!

 by Tobin Sharp

Nugan Estate is a premium producer of estate grown wine based in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.

It is part of the Nugan Group, which was founded in 1940 on fruit and vegetable packing and expanded in the 1970s into juice production – later becoming one of the largest exporters of niche juice products to Asia. In 1993 Nugan Group further diversified its operations planting vineyards and selling fruit under contract. From there, winemaking was a natural progression.

Today Nugan Estate owns 590 hectares of vineyards in Australia’s finest wine growing regions of Riverina, King Valley and McLaren Vale – making it the 18th largest vineyard holders in Australia. In addition, Nugan Estate sources premium quality grape from the renowned Coonawarra region.

Family operated by Michelle, Matthew and Tiffany Nugan, Nugan Estate is one of Australia’s Top 20 Wine Exporters and is complemented by a premium wine portfolio, extra virgin olive oil and the award winning Griffith restaurant, Michelin.

Matt Nugan visited our shop not too long ago on a promo tour and, lucky for us, brought his wines along for us to sample. Impressed would be an understatement when it comes to our reaction on the quality of his family wines and their more-than-fair (downright bargain!) pricing. Stunned? That might be it. The wines were fantastic, showcasing Aussie terroir and the amount of sunshine they get (Beautiful ripe fruit? Yes, please!). In American parlance, a clear home run-- in Aussie, an easy "sixer" (in cricket terms, of course!).

Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Drover's Hut" Chardonnay $14.95 [378098]
Easy-drinking, balanced, clean Chardonnay. The nose shows tropical fruits, orchard fruits, sweet brown spices and a touch of lemon grass. Great viscosity on the palate with flavors of more stone fruits, mango, white peach, lots of Fuji apple, and a touch of minerality in the finish. Enjoy with or without food-- pairs perfectly with sunny days and easy company.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Light yellow. Ripe nectarine, melon and tangerine on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. In a lush, open-knit style, with a jolt of bracing acidity adding lift and focus. Picks up a stony, almost Chablis-like hint of minerality on the finish, which lingers with very good tenacity and focus."
 

Nugan Estate 2013 Riverina "Stomper's" Cabernet Sauvignon $14.95 [381848]
Cherry fruit fills the nose as touches of olive tapenade, black licorice and ripe rapsberry fill in the gaps, all surmounted by a layer of mint and hint of tobacco-- enticing and fairly complex for this price niveau. The palate is lush and loaded with cherries and raspberries but not cloying. Savory touches of forest floor, spice box and black pepper add to the ripe red fruits. The finish is clean and uplifting as bracing acidity and brisk tannins keep it looking up. A great warm weather red, keep a few bottles of "Stomper's" handy when the grill comes out and the company arrives.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Brilliant ruby. Fresh, spice-tinged dark berries and cherry on the nose, with notes of floral oils and cured tobacco adding complexity. Bright cherry and blackcurrant flavors show good depth as well as vivacity, with a jolt of black pepper adding spicy bite. Finishes floral and gently sweet, leaving a hint of candied rose behind."

 

 Nugan Estate 2012 Coonawarra "Alcira Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon $21.98 [378428]
Eucalyptus and mint, two classic descriptors for the Aussie terroir, are clearly in the nose as hints of pencil lead and fennel are surmounted by dark red fruits, jammy raspberry and cassis: beautiful, rich and deep. The tannins in this "Alcira" Cab are fine and silky, uplifting broad flavors of dark cherries, cassis and cacao. A pinch of spice and earth lead to a long, smooth finish with, again, lasting deep, dark red fruits.

Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Scruffy's" Shiraz $14.95 [378497]
Concentrated raspberry and boysenberry fruit fill the nose, almost a jammy, fruit-leather version, as bits of red licorice, mint, cherry cola and herbal woodiness create a fine supporting cast of scents. In the mouth, fresh fruits reign, sweet berries, cherries and raspberries; light herbals, black tea and incense weave their way between the sweet fruit, adding depth and richness. Easy to quaff, perfectly delightful, great for Spring and Summer.

ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Dark purple. Spicy blackcurrant and cherry aromas are complemented by Asian spices and floral oils. Lively and precise on the palate, offering gently sweet, incisive dark fruit flavors and a hint of spicecake. Finishes on a gentle tannic note, with very good clarity and an echo of candied flowers."

Nugan Estate 2013 Alfredo "Second Pass" Shiraz $19.95 [381882]
The "Second Pass" Shiraz is sourced from the Nugan family’s premium vineyards in Australia. After fermentation, the wine was pressed onto the pomace and yeast lees of our premium “Alfredo” Dry Grape Shiraz adding to the wines’ intensity, á la the Ripasso style found in Italy's Valpolicella region. Thereafter, the wine was matured in French and American oak for 12 months resulting in a wine of concentration and quality.

Dark berries, mint leaf and herbal wood fills the nose as more scents reverberate: black licorice, strawberry tea, mixed brown spices, dark perfumed florals. Sweet fruit buoyed by lush tannins start on the palate with more layers growing with each sip: cherries and berries meet breakfast tea and violet petals, rhubarb, tobacco, dark chocolate and brown earth. Sweet, rich, complex. The tannins and excellent acidity keep it aloft and light on the palate even with all its richness of flavor. Great with grilled meats (from lamb to cow) and game, strong hard cheeses.

ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "Inky purple. Heady, expansive aromas of dark fruit liqueur, potpourri and incense, with a hint of smoky minerality adding vivacity. Offers juicy, penetrating cherry and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral pastille quality that builds in the glass. Shows excellent clarity and thrust on the finish, with silky tannins coming in late."

A Visit With Jane Ferrari From Yalumba

by Gary Faust

On April 1^st, 2015 we were visited by the Force of Nature that is Jane Ferrari of Yalumba Wines, Australia. Over the course of an hour, Jane regaled us with stories of her adventures, travels and personalities she has encountered in the wine business. It was surprising to learn that she has quite the knowledge of American history and loves the American people and our culture. She enjoys a visit to Graceland, drives Route 66, partakes in concerts and will take in a game at Yankee Stadium. In fact, for her holiday (vacation) this year, Jane will be visiting the South and enjoying the people, food and culture of Mississippi.

Jane began her career as a cellar rat at Yalumba doing any odd job that needed to be done. Over the years, her knowledge grew and she took on varied assignments with more responsibility. Eventually, she became head winemaker for Yalumba, which has a multitude of wines. Although she was an excellent winemaker, the owner of Yalumba, Robert Hill-Smith asked Jane to try a new assignment. He wanted her to represent Yalumba and be the international face of the company-a brand ambassador, if you will. Jane resisted, but finally agreed to try it for a year. Thirteen years later, Jane is very happy traveling the world, extolling the virtues of Yalumba wine and meeting people. It turns out her boss was right; Jane is a natural people person who gets along with anybody she meets.

Fortunately, Yalumba is an easy sell. They’ve been making wine for more than 165 years after being founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, a British migrant and brewer who brought his family to Australia in search of a better life. Smith purchased a 30-acre parcel of land and began planting vines. He named his patch Yalumba, which is Aboriginal for “all the land around.” Six generations later, Australia’s oldest winemaking family owned winery has achieved great success.

In the short time we had with her at the store, we learned that Jane is a human quote machine. She talked about the savvy consumers of today, referring to them as, “Bloody Google Machines using their 'scary apps'.” She meant that as praise, stating, “They are not dunderheads!”

It is obvious when people are passionate about what they do and Jane’s passion comes through loud and clear. We tasted through the wines with Jane, talking about each of them. Starting with the whites, we enjoyed the first vintage of their Eden Valley Roussanne. This is still a very small production wine, but with its beautiful aromatics and mouthfeel we will undoubtedly see more of it going forward. Yalumba 2012 Eden Valley Roussanne $17.98 [382417]

The Viognier is always one of our favorites and this was no exception. Floral notes and notions of Juicy Fruit leap from the glass. On the palate, the wine is clean, crisp and dry. Jane noted the Viognier goes exceptionally well with shrimp tacos, and pork belly with cilantro. Yalumba 2013 Eden Valley Viognier $15.98 [377296]

The hallmark of the red wines is their exceptionally silky texture. It is also noteworthy that they are very fresh and pure without the jamminess you find in some Australian wines. Jane is very excited about the 2012 vintage in Australia. Although the country is still dealing with drought issues, the growing season largely cooperated with the resulting wines showing excellent fruit and balance.

We tasted and discussed their version of the Rhone-styled GSM blend called “The Strapper.” A Strapper is an Aussie term for a stablehand or horse groomer and is a nod to the horses the family enjoys. In discussing the wine, Jane said the Grenache supplies raspberry fruit, the juicy Shiraz supplies the “Woooo Factor” while the Mataro (Mourvedre) provides the drying “oomph factor.” We couldn’t have said it any better- the Strapper melds together nicely in a well knit, nicely textured wine. Yalumba 2012 GSM Strapper $16.98 [377854].

She is also rightly proud of their “Signature” wine, which is only produced in very good years. In fact, Yalumba did not release the Signature in 2011. This is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with the Cabernet showing the varietal hallmarks of cassis and blackberry, while the Shiraz “...comes rolling out like a velvety red carpet.” Yep, another Jane-ism. Note: We tasted the 2012 (not released yet) but still have some of the delicious 2010 in stock. Yalumba 2010 "The Signature" Shiraz $37.98 [381189] Wine Advocate 93+ Points.

We can’t wait for another visit from Jane, but in the meantime we’ll have pleasant thoughts of her whenever we enjoy a nice glass of wine from Yalumba.

 More Yalumba!

YALUMBA 2013 GRENACHE "BUSH VINE" $16.95 [378925]

ANTONIO GALLONI; VINOUS MEDIA 90 POINTS - "Brilliant ruby-red. Fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas show good energy and focus. Energetic red fruit flavors gain sweetness with air, picking up a suave floral quality. Lively, appealingly pinot-like grenache with very good finishing lift and smooth, harmonious tannins arriving late." Josh Reynolds

YALUMBA 2008 SHIRAZ OLD VINES "OCTAVIUS" $89.98 [378616]

WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "Deep garnet with a hint of purple in the color, the 2008 Octavius Barossa Shiraz displays intense notes of creme de cassis, dried plums and kirsch with hints of meat, smoky bacon fat, soy, black olives, allspice and licorice. Full bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, the concentrated blackberry and savory flavors are nicely structured with a medium to firm level of grainy tannins and enlivening acidity. The finish is very long, layered and complex. Approachable now, it should drink well to 2021+."