On the 7th of November Mario Monteiro presented the wines of Hartenberg to us. Jo Lowe and Venetia Wegelin of Novinophobia were the last to present Hartenberg to us on the 9th of July 2019. Mario before he started his wine company was a Sommelier by training and has excellent wine knowledge! The tasting order that Mario presented the wines was as follows, as too are the comments made by the tasters and the average scores tendered.
1. Riesling 2021
Colour- light green heart, with a light gold rim. Nose- menthol, lanolin, slight terpene, apples and lemons. Palate- crisp acidity, lively minerality, citrus, honey comb, lanolin, lime and lemon, full bodied.
Score- 16.00.
2. Estate Chardonnay 2021
Colour- light green heart, with a light gold rim. Nose- honey, citrus, lemon, toast. Palate- crisp acidity, toast, honey comb, creamy, butterscotch, vanilla, green apples, lime and lemon that lingers to the finish.
Score- 16.79.
3. Doorkeeper Shiraz 2021
Colour- inky dark red almost purple, with no gradation to a clear rim. Nose- black berries, cassis, toffee, spice, black cherry and currants. Palate- crisp acidity, firm tannins, savoury, spices, black berries and cherries, toffee that lingers to the finish.
Score- 16.93.
4. Doorkeeper SMG 2020 (35% Shiraz, 35% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache Noir)
Colour- inky dark blackish red, with no gradation to a purple rim. Nose- stewed berries, nut, marzipan, toast, toffee. Palate- crisp acidity, firm tannins, cassis, spice, chocolate, sweet fruits, black berry and cherries that linger to the finish.
Score- 17.15.
5. Doorkeeper Merlot Malbec 2022 (80% Merlot, 20% Malbec)
Colour- inky dark red, with no gradation to a light red rim. Nose- spices, green bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, toffee, chocolate, green herbs, paprika, black currants. Palate- crisp acidity, firm tannins, spice, herbs, black berries and cherries, chocolate and coffee that lingers to the finish.
Score- 17.25 (49th best scoring wine for Vats in 2023, out of 255 wines).
6. Merlot 2018 (this wine was tasted and scored blind)
Colour- inky dark red, with no gradation to a light red rim. Nose- smoke, meaty, spices, toasty, toffee. Palate- crisp acidity, firm tannins, cedar, meaty, mint, chocolate, cassis, black berries and cherries that linger to the finish.
Score- 17.57 (tied 1th best for 2023).
7. Occasional Riesling 2020 (this wine was tasted and scored blind)
Colour- light green heart, with a light gold rim. Nose- spices, orange blossoms, apple, honey, lemon. Palate- crisp acidity, lively fruit, with lemon, lime, litchi, honey and oranges that linger full to the finish.
Score- 16.86.
Thanks to Mario for a really good tasting, filled with exciting, quality wines. Mario’s knowledge of farm and winemaking, was awesome. Two wines in Vats’s top 50 for the year out of 255 wines tasted thus far. Top wine was the Merlot, followed by the Doorkeeper Merlot Malbec and the Doorkeeper SMG in third. We look forward to see Mario back at Vats with some of his other Estates!
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