Regardless of how many times you're told that this is your bit of the trip, for some reason you can bank on a can I just do this little bit first? Fortunately my plans for the tasting trail allowed a degree of flexibility so we headed to Cape Naturaliste for photographic purposes that would have required most of the morning to explore to their maximum potential. It was just after ten when we found our way onto Caves Road, where we passed what an uninformed observer might have regarded as an unconscionable number of wineries before we turned left at Lenton Brae.
Nowadays, when we're heading for wine country, the first thing Hughesy does is to check Mr Halliday's ubiquitous reference tome, and come up with a list of the establishments James has rated with five stars. Earlier in the year, our visit to the Granite Belt, where the single five star wasn't open at the time I had to look further afield, and with Capel Vale as the only one in the Geographe region the day before that had also left things cut and dried.
Margaret River, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish with the count running into the forties, a number that would need more than two and a half days to do properly. Not all of them are open to the public, but even when the ones that aren't had been eliminated from the list we were still left with a week to ten days' solid tasting if we were going to visit all of them.
Experience, however, suggested a couple of options when it came to sorting things out.
For a start, it made sense to head for places that offer freight free delivery to the east coast (and a surprising number do, provided you're buying a dozen bottles, so that didn't help a great deal).
A better organizing principle involved separating iconic establishments you felt obliged to visit from the rest and casting the eye around for the odd establishment that looked like it had something to offer in the way of quirky independent producer status.
The icons weren't too hard to figure - Cullen, Brookland Valley, Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix and Cape Mentelle were pretty obvious must visits, and I could've added Howard Park/Madfish and Xanadu to that list had I not suspected they'd attract significant numbers of coach-borne visitors. Hughesy sees the presence of tour coaches as a definite minus when it comes to serious sampling.
Round the list off with, say, half a dozen other interesting establishments and we'd have a list that was comfortably doable.
Being fresh on Day One, I figured, we could probably get around half of the dozen or so places I'd listed. Travelling along Caves Road would take us to Lenton Brae and Brookland Valley before we diverted to Hay Shed Hill for lunch, with Ashbrook, Vasse Felix and maybe one more before we headed for the accommodation in downtown Margaret River.
Madam wanted to visit Lake Cave on Day Two, but provided we could get on the first tour that would leave an easy run through Leeuwin Estate, Voyager Estate, Stella Bella and maybe a fourth, while Friday would be abbreviated by the need to travel north so we'd save Cullen till last, with the possibility of further strings being added to the bow if time and taste buds permitted before a 2 p.m. departure for Singleton Beach on the southern outskirts of Perth's metropolitan sprawl.
We must've passed a good dozen wineries before we reached Lenton Brae, which turned out to be the perfect starting point, partly because of the quality of the wines (but we were expecting that, weren't we? It wasn't as if we were visiting places where the wines were likely to be substandard) but more particularly because of cellar door attendant Chris Stott.
After extensive experience Hughesy has definite opinions about wineries and their cellar door operations.
For a start, unless there's a very good reason to go there, you can forget most cellar door operations that welcome tour buses. Leeuwin Estate proved a golden exception to the rule, but once you sight a couple of tour buses in the car park it's safe to assume that if you want to talk to someone about the wines you're sampling you're probably going to be better off somewhere else.
Second, I like to see a tasting area with room for more than two or three small groups. If the place is handkerchief-sized and there's already a tour bus on the premises it's going to be a waste of time, but even where the tour buses don't run it's nice to have room to taste without rubbing elbows with total strangers.
It also helps to be able to avoid overhearing what they're being told as they sample something a bit further down the range. You're going to hear that eventually, but these things are best happening in their own good time.
Third, and most importantly, if you're a winery that's serious about your cellar door operation, you need cellar door staff who know their stuff and will go about the business of quietly selling both your own product and your region as a whole.
We'd seen both extremes in the Swan Valley - at Sandalford the two girls in the room dispensed the tasting samples with alacrity and left you to it, while the sole dude at Houghtons engaged in a dialogue and ended up selling Hughesy half a dozen $50 reds (substantially discounted, but still at a price point where I'd usually be looking elsewhere).
Lenton Brae Dude was another out of the same mould, and a very enjoyable forty minutes or so culminated in a recommendation we visit Woodlands (just across the road because the reds are very good. You'll like them. We didn't get anything from Lenton Brae straight away, but the website will be attracting repeated visits over the next couple of years.
I started with the 2010 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (4.5/5 $22), the regional trademark blend that is to Margaret River what Riesling is to Clare. Everybody makes one, they're rarely less than excellent and this one was firmly wedged into the upper end of the echelon and the varietal character integrated very nicely indeed. Definitely one to throw into an order.
The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (4/5 $22) wasn't quite up there, but I rated it fairly highly, along with the 2009 Southside Chardonnay (4/5 $25) the early release style, a tangy minimal-oak number that worked very well. It'll be seven or eight months before the regular Chardonnay hits the shelves, but these three definitely look like classy summer drinking as far as Hughesy's concerned.
There were also a couple of Late Harvest styles ($18) that were quite interesting with the 2010 Special Late Harvest, a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc working very nicely indeed. Definitely one to go with the curries.
The reds were, on the other hand, light on numerically but the two I tried impressed greatly. The 2010 No Way Rose (4.5/5 $18), a bone dry style that works stunningly well, could best be described as summer in a glass and is definitely one to throw into the Little House of Concrete summer mix. I was also reasonably taken by the 2009 Cabernet Merlot (4/5 $25), a softer, drink now style and definitely one to look at for summer.
The strength of the recommendation and geographic proximity meant \we didn't have much choice about visiting Woodlands. Subsequent checking on Hughesy's homework revealed the place was a Halliday five-star operation, so while it wasn't on my list of places to visit it could well have been had there been something on the website to spark Hughesy's interest.
As it was, a flying visit, a chat to a very knowledgeable tasting room attendant and a sampling of a very impressive range had me signing up for the mailing list and heading off with a bottle of the 2008 Emily Special Reserve (5/5 $39.50) in tow. It's a small range, but highly impressive, from the entry-level 2009 Cabernet Franc Merlot (4.5/5 $20 or $16.50 in a case) a rich dense style that comes through very late on the palate, and the very similar but slightly more rounded 2008 Cabernet Merlot (4.5/5 $23 or $19 in a case) through to the Reserves, which punch up comfortably into the mid-nineties on the old points range. Definitely an operation that will be featuring in the wine rack for the next few years.
Stop #3 at Brookland Valley might be heading towards the corporate side of things, but Madam is partial to the Verse 1 range, I wanted to try the Estate range, and it was Halliday's 2009 Winery of the Year, so apart from the possibility of using the restaurant as a fallback if we didn't manage to get into Cullen on Friday I guess Brookland Valley was always going to be rated as a must visit.
The restaurant menu didn't seem to be available on the web, so if we were going to be checking that side of things out we might as well do the tasting bit as well.
Like many operations, the setting for the cellar door is spectacular, and the fact that the restaurant isn't open on a Wednesday may have accounted for the fact that when we arrived there wasn't anybody there but us chickens.
Working through the Verse 1 lines ($18/bottle), everything was a solid 4/5, and the Rose was a definite summer possibility ($14.40 a bottle with the discount for bulk buying).
The Estate Range involved a jump in price, kicking in at $30 with the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (4/5), which didn't grab me, but the 2006 Semillon (4.4/5), very impressive at $38 and a quite wonderful 2009 Chardonnay (4.5/5 $40 97 points from Mr Halliday) were outstanding. I didn't mind the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (4.5/5 $45), either. The 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (5/5 $70) was also an impressive long finishing style tI'd be happy to wrap the tonsils around on a more regular basis if I could afford to do so.
A glance at the Restaurant menu revealed arm and a leg territory as far as lunch was concerned, but gave us a backup if needed on Friday.
Since I expect to find the Verse 1 on restaurant wine lists on a regular basis, the visit was worth making, the Estate range impressive, but I doubt that I'll be going out of my way to order, though at $172.80 for a dozen Rose I could well be tempted in the summer drinking department.
The cellar door lady, while she mightn't have been quite as communicative as the previous two was still streets ahead of the pour and leave you to it brigade, and made the very interesting observation that I should ring and talk to place an order rather than shopping on line.
By this time the sun was well and truly over the yard arm and lunch beckoned, so the next stop was Hay Shed Hill, which rated a visit for a couple of reasons. For a start, their cafe-deli looked like an excellent lunch option, and we'd received a non-Halliday recommendation from a knowledgeable source (thanks, Helen!).
The Cellar Door, under the supervision of a gentleman of northern European extraction and an accent that may or may not have been German, was an impressive operation, and the samples were administered with an almost Teutonic efficiency.
We broke about halfway through for lunch, returning to be seamlessly reintegrated into the tasting cycle. As indicated, highly impressive. The wines, on the other hand, were a more mixed bag. For a start, despite the efficiency behind the counter, I found myself zipping around the order form as I worked my way through the four separate ranges on offer.
The entry level wines in the Pitchfork range ($17, case price $15) were solid without demanding attention, except for the 2009 Pitchfork Pink, a Rose style on special at $10 by the case, ideal summer drinking and there's a dozen sitting in the wine rack as I type.
The next step up, the Hay Shed Hill Vineyard Series, were consistently around 4/5, with the exception of the 2008 Cabernet Merlot, an easy drinking style that was pleasant enough but which I thought was a touch on the light side (3.5/5 $20, case price $18)) and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (5/5 $25/$22)) a classy line that comes out of the glass right into the nose and came through very nicely rounded on the palate and the 2009 Botrytis Riesling (5/5 $22/$29) which my tasting notes label, quite simply. as sublime. In between, the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, 2009 Chardonnay and 2008 Shiraz Tempranillo (interesting blend) all rated a solid 4/5 at $20/$18.
Next up the pecking order, the World Series Wines ($30/$25), a Tempranillo and a Sangiovese from 2008 were interesting explorations of two newer varietals, and I must say I preferred the Sangiovese, a pleasant savoury style.
The top of the range Block Series were a definite step up, with the 2009 Block 6 Chardonnay (4.5/5 $35/$30) a highly perfumed new style Oz style, the 2008 Block 8 Cabernet Franc (4/5 $35/$30) having varietal character to burn in a medium-bodied style and the dry with depth 2005 Block 10 Petit Verdot (4.5/5 $35/$30) also rating pretty highly. To finish, the 2008 Block 2 Cabernet Sauvignon ( 4.5/5 $50/$45) was quite outstanding (95 from Halliday).
Overall, looking back on it, while I escaped from the winery with credit cad dockets for dozens of the Pitchfork Pink and a cleanskin 2008 Merlot that was quite acceptable drinking @ $8 I don't know that there'll be a great deal of ordering action headed back towards Hay Shed Hill.
The curse of the missing tasting notes kicked in at the next stop, Ashbrook Estate, where we met another friendly and informative cellar door attendant, but with the only evidence to hand being a single sheet totally bereft of scribbled comments I've got very little option but to move straight on to Vasse Felix, one of the Margaret River icons that I was particularly looking forward to.
You never quite know what's in store when you pull into the visitors' car park at any time, but the last stop of the day can be problematic. Looking back on two days in Margaret River I've got to admit that both last visits were not quite underwhelming, but weren't as impressive as they could have been.
Everything I tried at Vasse Felix was in the 3.5 to 4 range on Hughesy's five point scale, and the two Heytesburys (the Chardonnay and the Cabernet/Malbec/Petit Verdot) lived right up to their reputations, price points and 96-point Halliday ratings. The 2009 Chardonnay (4/5) was another classy new breed Oz Chard, though I'm not sure I'd be shelling out $27 (Cellar Club $21.60), while the 2009 Semillon (4/5 $25/$20) was a nice expression of the variety. Bit of oak lurking in the background, fragrant bouquet and quite delicious. You could say much the same about the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon ($25/$20), balanced with the obligatory tropical fruits on the nose and across the palate. The 2010 Classic Dry White ($20/$16) had an awfully familiar nose, and I rated it as another 4/5 while the 2009 Viognier ($25/$20) was better than most I've tried though I'm still not totally convinced.
The reds, from the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (4/5 $38/$30.40) with its pronounced varietal character through the 2007 Shiraz (4/5 $35/$28) and 2008 Cabernet Merlot (4/5 $25/$20) were impressive styles, while I was less convinced by the 2008 Classic Dry Red (3.5/5 $20/$16). Tempranillo fans should be impressed by the 2009 Tempranillo (4/5 $25/$20), though varietal sceptics might disagree.
Overall, however, as much as the wines impressed I found myself scratching my head and pondering whether I was missing something. A bridge too far on the tasting trail, perhaps, but maybe it's a case of too-high expectations and severe burnout in the taste buds. Too much of a good thing, and all that.
Given those factors, I wasn't keen on tasting anything more, and we headed into downtown Margaret River, stopping at the Tourist Information for details we needed to plan Thursday morning's Lake Cave excursion and other minor details, then headed off to base camp for the next two nights at Margaret River Tourist Park.
Once we'd settled in, thoughts turned to dinner, and since we hadn't formed any definite plans we walked back into town, partly to work up the appetite and partly to avoid driving over darkened unfamiliar roads at night.
A walk up and down the main street failed to produce anything that grabbed Madam's imagination, so we found our way into the Settlers' Tavern, where the food turned out to be excellent and the drinks options were more than merely interesting. Hardly surprising, really, given the fact that the establishment had picked up the Best Pub Restaurant List gong at the Gourmet Traveller Wine Wine List of the Year Awards.
Madam's catch of the day went down rather well, as did Hughesy's 300 g Scotch fillet with accompanying mashed potato that operated on a whole different playing field to the old-style mash I’m used to. After a cleansing ale I couldn't resist a glass of the Forester Estate Alicante Bouchet, a full-bodied red as opposed to the Rockford tannin-free take on the teinturier variety.
We weren't, however, inclined to hang about inside as the external temperature plummeted (any delay would only mean that it'd be even chillier when we finally ventured outside) and we made our way home at a brisk walk that threatened to develop into a trot as we entered the home straight. Once inside it was a case of on with the old reverse cycle and an early night with a good ten hours' sleep to prepare for a second day on the tasting trail.