NEW RELEASES - 2017 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Curly Flat - the king of cool

July 29, 2020

The wines of Curly Flat are, by now, well-known to many of our clients and I would like to think we have introduced these stunning wines to a number of clients who may have previously been dismissive of Australian Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

To me, Curly Flat is one of the pioneers of cool-climate viticulture in Australia – I first encountered these wines from Macedon in Victoria over 15 years ago and have never been disappointed by a vintage, even though they show differences in tune with the conditions that shape a given year. Respected wine critic, James Halliday, once commented that for Macedon, ‘Site selection, the careful matching of site and grape variety, razor sharp canopy management, and relatively low yields are all prerequisites for success’. I think this is key to Curly’s success – they tick all these boxes. The Macedon Ranges is one of the coolest wine-growing regions on the Australian mainland. Altitude plays the pivotal role in determining just how cool the exact site is. It is worth noting that Mount Macedon is a little over 1000 metres high – consequently, the vineyards of Curly Flat lie between 400 and 700 metres, and it takes attentive viticulture to deliver this quality with such unerring regularity.

The area of Macedon is characterised by a number of small estates; it was never likely that the larger wine companies would move into the area, and it is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that dominate production. Both of these varieties are able to gain a rare elegance of expression, ripe but never overblown and underscored by fine natural acidities.

The 2017s from Curly have already won some strong endorsements. Having tasted them at home last week, I was keen to ask winemaker Matt Harrop about his thoughts on the vintage as they showed in an ultra-refined manner. Matt commented that for him it was ‘a year of moderates. Not a day over 40˚C, warm days extending into March coupled with cool nights giving us slow, steady, perfect, ripening conditions. This season without extremes allowed great balance, elegance and aromatics in our wines. Our 2017 wines show excellent concentration and the texture and tension to age gracefully for years’. He added that this was the coolest vintage they had witnessed at Curly Flat since 2011; they employed their usual strict selection, relegating a proportion of the wine to their second label to ensure the quality of the estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Fans of these wines are in for a treat; these are remarkably elegant examples with alcohol levels barely exceeding thirteen degrees. They should prove fascinating wines to follow over time, as while Curly Flat Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can comfortably be consumed shortly after shipment, they possess the capacity to age over a decade or beyond, courtesy of the inherent acidity.

Please see below for my full notes as well as a couple of additional notes for reference.

2017 Pinot Noir, Curly Flat

£380 per 12 bottle case in bond

Scented, violet notes and bright red berry fruit, wild strawberry and dark cherry on the nose. The same brightness is in evidence on the palate, soft summer berries and cranberry with notes of spice and a touch of background oak. There is a more savoury aspect to the palate than I have noted in some years, and this already shows fine complexity. The satiny texture of the tannins sell it, finely expressed with mineral nuances adding to the length of flavour. This finishes fragrant and lifted…a cooler climate profile than we have seen in a few vintages. Impressive. Drink 2022-2031 (SL)

96 points, James Halliday, Wine Companion

Entices immediately with heady aromas: all spiced cherries, pips, warm earth, autumnal leaves and borage. But the palate is the clincher. Glossy yet fine tannins, graceful, lithe and long. Lovely wine.

95 points, Tyson Stelzer Wine Business Monthly

I’ve long loved the cool purity of Curly Flat, and 2017 frames it in an especially graceful finesse. The purity of rose petal and red cherry fruit is captivating, and to back this with such confident fine tannins and enduring acid line is a balancing feat rarely pulled off so convincingly outside the hallowed sites of Chambolle-Musigny itself. In line, length and sheer jaw-dropping beauty, this is one of the greatest Curly Flats yet.

2017 Chardonnay, Curly Flat

£350 per 12 bottle case in bond

A far tauter vintage than we have seen of Curly Flat Chardonnay in a while, the nose reveals limey citrus and minerals. Lively and linear on the palate at its current youthful stage, this has a precise, racy, mineral-infused acidity that adds direction to the orchard fruit and citrus on show, with hints of jasmine and background toast. This will take a little longer to unfurl than some Curly Chardonnays based on this showing, but it should be well worth the wait; the cooler years have been fascinating and rewarding to track in the cellar. A pure, chiselled Chardonnay that finishes positive and long. Drink 2022-2030 (SL)

95 points, Jane Faulkner for James Halliday, Wine Companion

This has punch and weight in equal measure. Fuller-bodied with stone fruit, lemony tones, creamy and very moreish thanks to its restrained nutty/leesy flavours. There’s complexity and a vibrancy to the acidity as it glides effortlessly to its long finish.

Please let us know of your interest.

All the best,

Simon

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All about balance: 2023 Burgundy Vintage Report

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Top tips and conclusions from the Atlas Big Barolo Bash

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Then there have been some more mixed years, but ones in which good growers have nevertheless excelled. Today it is more about providing some protection to the fruit, as opposed to exposing it. This is quite an incredible switch around to have occurred in just 20 years. Growers have needed to learn fast – to learn how to prepare their vineyards for the modern-day challenges of heat and drought, when not so very long ago, the challenge was inclement weather. 2017 is a successful hot vintage, particularly given there were four months in the growing season without any rain. The cooler weather at harvest really assisted in providing freshness to the aromatics and brightness to the fruit; this was notably evident in the selection of 2017s at the tasting. The two wines from Brovia were just beautiful; both the Brea ‘Vigna Ca Mia’ and the Villero were way ahead of the quality that a reading of the vintage reports might suggest possible. Instead we found pure fruit, refined tannins, glossy textures and a complex amalgam of fruit nuances and tertiary notes. Equally compelling were the duo from Poderi Oddero. In the amazingly graceful Vigna Rionda, from one of the region’s finest terroir, Oddero has crafted a genuine beauty in 2017 and I would suggest it isn’t far removed from the quality they delivered in the tremendous 2016 vintage; this should be a wine on your watch list if you a fan of the finest Barolo. The Bussia Vigna Mondoca showed in a similarly impressive manner; Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba, is a controversially large cru but when you taste wines of this calibre, there is no doubting that it has the potential to rank highly, depending on the exact location of the vines within the . Very rich, with a deep damson, plum quality to the fruit and hints of spice, this rich Barolo will demand patience, even in a year like 2017 where some wines are starting to drink. In this latter category, we would place Vietti’s reliable Castiglione blend and, surprisingly, Vajra’s 2017 Ravera, which seems to show very little of the austerity that is more typical of this cool, elevated Novello cru. The 2016 table certainly drew considerable attention, as clients were aware that this vintage is considered to be one of the all-time greats. The 2016 vintage represented the perfect growing season with no excesses or problematic weather. These wines have such appealing fruit and fine tannin that a number show that they are already approachable though even the humblest from this vintage have ageing potential. The table was manned by Atlas’ Nick Pitcher, who commented that clients were impressed by the 2016 Barolo del Comune di La Morra from Renato Corino on account of its expansive, rounded fruit. Renato has always made rich, softly textured wines and his entry level Barolo, principally made from young vines in Rocche del’ Annunziata, has always been considered by Atlas to be something of a bargain; the 2016 is no exception in this respect. Brovia’s Barolo 2016, from across their holdings, also impressed, making for an impressive showing on the night for this traditional producer when you consider how well their 2017s showed. The Brovia and Corino 2016s offer great value, a point borne out by client purchases! Parusso’s lesser known Mariondino from Castiglione Falleto also won favour with its intense fruit, with the touch of oak adding tobacco and vanillin notes, one of the few wines in the room to be aged in that manner. Nick also showed the component wines of Arnaldo Rivera’s Collector’s Case, as Nick said what a vintage for the cooperative of Terre del Barolo to launch a premium mixed case. Clients were fascinated to taste six different crus, each from one of six of the different communes of Barolo, all from the same producer, and from the same vintage. As one client commented ‘A great dinner party experience to be had tasting single cru Barolo at a bargain price!’. It is hard to argue with that. While the Arnaldo Rivera wines aren’t in the Premier League of Barolo, they are well made, approachable and provide a good introduction to understanding the single cru vineyards and the communes that make up the patchwork that is Barolo. Unsurprisingly, the lighter tannins and juicy red from on the Monvigliero impressed various tasters as did the richer, Vigna Rionda. The inclusion of the 2016 Neirane from Agostino Bosco sparked interest too, with many clients returning to the 2019 to refresh the comparison; the 2016 is just starting to drink as this vineyard possesses lighter soils with an element of sand, whereas the 2019 will need more patience. Then finally, we had a mixed table spanning the vintages from 2015 back to 2011, manned by Atlas’ Toby Herbertson. This table was a real draw as it allowed clients some insight into how Barolo ages; this was very much needed as some clients weren’t particularly familiar with the region. Some clients started tasting here, which might not have made it easier to move onto younger wines thereafter. The ability to compare wines from the same growers in 2011 and 2012 fascinated people and both vintages impressed. 2011 is one of those vintages that is starting to drink really well – it was a hot vintage, by the standards of that point in time, but it was wonderful to see how, if anything, the wines seem to have picked up a little more precision as they have aged. Both the Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 2011 and the Vietti Ravera 2011 found favour. The 2012 Sandrone, Le Vigne, shows just how well Sandrone adapt to vintage conditions. The 2013 Cappellano Pie Rupestris was very popular on the night; clients were impressed by the complexity and quality, though some struggled to spot the value in contrast to other wines shown. The conversation surrounding this table focused on when Barolo tannins start to soften and when wines come on stream for drinking. The lighter framed 2014s were up against it, sandwiched as they were between the more tannic 2013s and the bolder, richer 2015s. That said, many clients commented on the attractive nature of Vajra’s 2014 Ravera, which, like the 2017 of the same wine, showed in a forward drinking manner with a dark, glossy fruit, floral aromas and hints of spice. Indeed, all Vajra’s wines were complimented for their accessibility and the purity of the fruit. Finally, the two 2015s proved fascinating to taste. Giovanni Rosso’s Cerretta shows just why there is excitement brewing about this estate. It captured a flinty mineral note that added complexity to a rich palate of dark, slightly brooding fruit, while the tannins were finely expressed and far less obtrusive as they can be in young wines from this Serralunga d’Alba-based cru. Vietti’s inaugural Riserva also attracted plenty of attention; the extra ageing having softened and rounded out the tannins.All in all, the evening was a great success and we have received many positive comments on the venue and the format. We will certainly be running another event at this venue in the New Year.My final thoughts concern the way in which things have evolved in Piemonte. Climate change has meant that Barolo vintages face few of the pitfalls they once did. Instead, there are different challenges, more often than not related to heat and drought. In rapid time, growers have adapted in both the vineyard and cellar to meet these challenges, and today, I would argue, Barolo is one of the most consistent wine regions in Europe. There is just so much to explore, different crus with different altitudes, exposures and soils, as well as producers who employ different techniques. Without doubt, Nebbiolo is a sensitive grape variety that reveals different nuances in different conditions; it rivals Pinot Noir in this respect. Putting on a tasting like this allowed us to share our fascination with the wines and the region. Frankly there has never been a better time to buy Barolo – perhaps you could argue it is the last bastion of great value for finely nuanced reds In Europe. Certainly, £300 per case doesn’t get you far in Burgundy or Bordeaux, but it can get you an impeccably crafted, single vineyard Barolo. That point came across loud and clear to our audience on Wednesday night.

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