Off the Leash In Australia

Posted 02/11/2008 at 10:59 AM by Roger

Max and Finn have lent their names to a couple of Lane wines.

Australian winemaker John Edwards of Lane winery is a big guy who doesn't pull his punches, except when it comes to his wines. Instead of hitting you over the head with a plank of oak and a ton of fruit, his wines are understated and subtle.

This understated style goes against the grain of the Australian mantra of "bigger is better." Australia has built its reputation in the United States - and in fact worldwide - by making wines that out-California California. The typical Australian Chardonnays are big and buttery, the Shiraz are massively fruity, muscular and loaded with alcohol, and the Cabernet Sauvignon are big, fleshy, and laced with the vanilla flavors of new oak.

The Lane wines come across very much the opposite. Although a fair amount of oak is evident in most of them, the wood flavors don't stick out above the fruit. This allows the subtle flavors imparted by the soil of the vineyards and the varietal character of the grapes to do the talking.

There was no mistaking this character in the Lane 2007 Pinot Grigio. Most Pinot Grigio is pretty insipid stuff made by the tankerload in Italy and sold for $5 to $10 in the US. Lane Pinot Grigio runs about $30, but will never be mistaken for one of the cheapies. The faintly musky Pinot Grigio varietal character surges from the glass, and the meaty texture of the wine grips the palate.

The Lane 2004 "Beginning" Chardonnay tasted more like a French Meursault, with a distinctive gout de terroir of earth and wet stone, and the 2003 Lane "Meeting Place" Cabernet Sauvignon had a lot in common with a left bank Bordeaux. But I would have to say that the most surprising wine was the Lane 2004 "Reunion" Shiraz, which had very little in common with the typically big and bruising Australian Shiraz, but lots in common with a subtle, layered-fruit style Hermitage from the northern Rhône, right down to the inclusion of 4% Viognier.

I especially loved the 2006 Off the Leash "Finn" No Oak White. This blend of un-oaked Chardonnay spiked with Viognier, Pinot Gris and Semillon sports a nose of brown sugar and limes, and a slick palate that hints of rich stone fruits and pear. At about $20, it's priced to be a crowd-pleaser.

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