Champagne & Wine

Champagne & Wine

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  • LAY CHENG TAN
    LAY CHENG TAN
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    Great Mann among reds - Malbec
    I tasted the 2001 Ferngrove King Malbec a couple of months ago and still have the 1995 and 1999 Houghton Jack Mann in my wine cellar...all fantastic wines!
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    Great Mann among reds

    by Ken Gargett
    16 November 2004
    The Courier-Mail
    I - Good Life
    11
    English
    Copyright 2004 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    MALBEC might be considered as one of the five Bordeaux varieties but it has never really made much of an impression here.

    It has survived, however, due to its role as a blender and supporter to cabernet and through the wines from the obscure French district of Cahors.

    In Argentina it is the major variety and American critic Robert Parker believes that within 10 years its "place in the pantheon of noble wines will be guaranteed".

    Straight Aussie malbecs are rare. At the bargain end of the market, from the Murray River region, comes 2003 Masterpeace, which gives an insight into just how powerful the variety can be. It's an ideal wine for those who prefer reds with their summer barbecue.

    Another powerful effort, but with more finesse and elegance, is 2002 Ferngrove King Malbec from Frankland River, offering some fragrant black cherry notes, good concentration and firm tannins. With both wines, the flavours are upfront and the power of the variety is there for all to see. It is obvious why, in small doses, malbec works well as a blending component.

    One wine which has, on occasions, included a percentage of malbec is Houghton's Jack Mann, the label's premium cabernet blend. JM is named after one of our most famous winemakers who passed away in 1989.

    Mann's father, a brandy maker with Chateau Tanunda in the Barossa, moved to Western Australia when Jack was very young and he grew up with a great respect for nature, believing no man had the right to call himself a winemaker. Rather, the best one could do was to allow nature to perform to advantage.

    His was a time when fortifieds ruled supreme and Mann showed his skill, winning the Australian Champion Oloroso sherry 13 years running. But he preferred table wines, and was most famous for creating the iconic Houghton White Burgundy.

    "You can exist without table wine," he said, "but you cannot live." Houghton White Burgundy was more highly regarded in past years than it is today.

    Mann had two passions -- cabernet and cricket. He took more than 2000 wickets in grade cricket in the 1920s and '30s but he did it bowling underarm. He has been quoted as saying that cricket is the only game played in heaven and that cabernet is the only variety that would be tolerated in heaven, making it the perfect choice for his tribute wine.

    The first Houghton Jack Mann was the 1994, with the 2000 ($90) the current vintage. There was no 1997 due to poor vintage conditions.

    The Jack Mann is a single-vineyard wine with the fruit sourced from Houghton's Frankland River vineyard in all years except 1998 when there was 15 per cent cabernet from Mt Barker. The wine is always cabernet dominant and the 1998 comprises 100 per cent. Other years see varying amounts of shiraz and malbec, most significantly in 1999 when 30 per cent of the wine was malbec.

    Winemakers Paul Lappsley and Rob Bowen talk about the quality of malbec and its upfront flavours but acknowledge that it doesn't have the length for true greatness. In other words, it performs admirably in its role -- filling in holes in a wine -- but is unlikely to ever be a showstopper on its own.

    The oak used is a mix of new and used French and the time the wine spends in it ranges from 18 to 24 months. This is one of the issues to be addressed for the future, along with ensuring ripeness in lesser years and evolving the viticulture.

    Anyone with a Jack Mann in their cellar will not be disappointed. The wines do benefit from time, with 1994 now really hitting its straps. It is the pick of the range, though there are no duds. 1995 and 1998 also shine and 2000 is packed with saturated berry flavours through to tight tannins. The wine has enormous unleashed potential and is one for the future. It would be a crying shame to drink this before its reaches the heights that await. 2001 looks like it will be another stunner.
    • 16 Nov 2004, 01:48 am