Some wines and their makers are entire unto themselves. They may be varietal, classic even and will no doubt share many characteristics with their neighbours. You may be able pick the region, vintage and winemaking, and yet, they are not like their neighbours. These were my impressions of my first taste of Corymbia’s 2020 vintage wines.
Cabernet is Bordeaux and Chenin Blanc is Loire, but these wines are neither. They reminded, most of all, of some South African wines, such as those of Eben Sadie, Donavon Rall and Mullineux. Wines from dry grown vineyards, wild, in the middle of nowhere, carefully nurtured. Their expressions, vinified minimally are unique. Many Australian wine producers are so busy tying to come up with a fair comparison to Burgundy, the Mosel, Bordeaux and Barolo that they forget to let the vineyard do the talking. Not so at Corymbia!
Corymbia 2020 Chenin Blanc – $30
Pure, and reminds me of the likes of Eben Sadie or Donavan Rall. Complex, tight, but not tense, fluffy almost. Citrus, sunflowers, stone fruits, cherry, melon and green apple. Lees-ey, creamy. Remarkable combination of amplitude and texture, fruit and minerality. There are some fascinating herbal elements of watercress and sage that impart a gathering firmness, towards the close. A wine of great individuality and style and would be three to four times the price, coming from the Loire. An adventure in the glass.
Corymbia 2020 Tempranillo Malbec – $40
Utterly varietal and a terrific testament to the quality of the vineyard and a winemaker unafraid to stiffen the fruit with tannins and texture. The fruit is ripe, and with it marches savoury, spicy and textural elements which, when combined, are unique in Australian wine. Blackberry, blueberry, mulberry and cola. There’s soy, black olive, lavender, seaweed and tar too. The gathering tannins build in their intensity and like the eye of a storm, melt into velvet. Astonishing.
Corymbia 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon – $60
Blackcurrant, blackberry, kirsch, aniseed, campfire, lavender, sage, soy and seaweed. Like the Tempranillo/Malbec, the savoury, spicy and textural elements jostle with the fruit. The wine is both loose and tight, fine, firm and threaded. I would love a decanter with this! Gritty espresso texture, or more like Turkish coffee, thick with grain. Rolling waves of flavour and grip, wrestle a stiffened sinew of tannin, that never lets go. The interplay of elements is remarkable, and for all the drama, is balanced and integrated. Absolutely ridiculous value for money.
