Cameron Mackenzie and Stuart Gregor
I was warned. Gary Walsh told me to take ear plugs. Angus Hughson; ” Nice quiet lunch then ;-)”…but nothing could have truly prepared me for the whirlwind of perpetual motion, the barrage of ideas and the sheer energy and enthusiasm that I was to encounter last Friday at the inaugural Donny Goodmac lunch.
Bar Barossa in Brisbane played host to Donald Stuart Gregor, Cameron Mackenzie and their vinous babies, the Donny Goodmac wines. Sadly, Kate Goodman couldn’t make it as she was still nursing her actual baby, Levi, born June 8 this year. I’m not sure she would have gotten a word in edgewise anyway.
A little word on Stuart Gregor – journalist, former wine writer & wine judge, Len Evans scholar and head of one of the most progressive marketing agencies in Australia, Liquid Ideas. He’s a larger than life figure and it seems he’s very much a hands on operator; from decanting and pouring his own Cabernet at the event to ordering a barrel of Dominique Laurent French oak in which to mature the 2008 Donny Goodmac Shiraz. That’s the most expensive oak barrel you can buy folks, the same oak that Torbreck’s $700 wine, The Laird, relaxes in pre-bottling. Mackenzie wasn’t totally taken with that purchase, especially when he discovered that it was, in Stuart’s words, “The most expensive French Oak sieve on the planet”. That’s right, it turns out Dominique Laurent leaks a bit. How much? Well, let’s just say The Laird might only be $350 if it didn’t…
Many who know me might expect that this is not the sort of person with which I would have much in common. In fact, some might have thought that we would actually clash. But Stuart is passionate and knowledgeable about wine. The echo of his voice, still ringing in my ears, cannot drown out that simple fact. This is one of the minds behind Australia’s First Family of Wines, one of the most exciting initiatives we have seen in the Australian industry. He loves wine, he understands wine, he has lived wine. And he understands that the Yarra Valley produces the best Cabernet in the country! Of course we got along. What’s more, he admitted to me that his first love was writing and he intends to return to that pursuit in the future.
So let’s get down to the wines, because they were good. Very, very good. So good that even a collection of some of the most humorous vinous anecdotes & one liners, all told in a booming voice and with grand confidence, could not drown them out.
2008 Donny Goodmac Chardonnay
I first tasted this wine 4 months ago and it was impressive. Now it’s starting to sing. Grapefruit and melon flavours are firmly defined but the wine is elevated by its texture, balance and superb length. A little spicy oak plays its part, as does the thinking man’s malo (lees) and some funky wild ferment characters. A veritable steal at $28. Pity it’s now sold out. Hunt around though, you never know. Its best days are ahead of it.
2008 Donny Goodmac Cabernet Sauvignon
Truly a wine that shows just how good Yarra Cabernet can be, even at a reasonable price. No obvious cassis here. It’s full of black and red berries, backed up by cedary oak, olive tapenade and a hint of leaf. Pepper and fully ripe, fine, chalky tannins seal the deal. Elegance, intensity and poise in one package.
2008 Donny Goodmac Shiraz Viognier
The ‘drink now’ wine in the stable. Soft and supple, floral and spicy. It fans out in the mouth before dissolving tannins add refreshment and some shape. The ease with which it can be consumed belies the quality of the fruit, and it is that quality that allows the wine to generate such pleasure.
2006 Donny Goodmac Shiraz
Just beginning to show some gentle signs of development in the bottle, but it’s got a fair few years left yet. Plums, black fruits, spice and mint with a hint of meatiness and the suggestion of tomato paste adding another layer. Exotic florals are still in tact. Trademark Pyrenees, and much like the 08 it relies on balance & harmony, not chicanery. Drinking well now with more complexity yet to come.
2007 Donny Goodmac Shiraz
A tough year in the Pyrenees and, indeed, Stuart jokingly referred to this as “the Donny Badmac, an angry wine”. It is angular, and the acidity and tannins aren’t quite matching up with the fruit right now. Still, it’s hardly a poor wine and with time the pieces may all come together. I wouldn’t bet against it. There is promise here, it just needs to settle.
2008 Donny Goodmac Shiraz
About 20% of this wine saw time in that Dominique Laurent oak and it hasn’t done it any harm…but the oak is not the main player here. Once again, it’s the elegance and finesse that matter. An array of brambly fruits,a touch of meatiness, some black pepper and a sprig of mint. Everything in its place and the best Donny Goodmac Shiraz release to date.
Winery website- http://www.donnygoodmac.com.au