Harris Organic Wines (ex Leda Swan)
www.harrisorganicwine.com.au179 Memorial Ave, Baskerville, 6065
Cellar Door: Daily (11-4.30)
Ph: (08) 9296 0216
In
2009 Leda Swan (owned by Duncan and Deborah Harris) changed its name to
Harris Organic Wine to put the cellar door focus on the organic practices
rather than explaining Greek mythology.
Duncan began making his first wines, unfortified preservative free dessert wines in 1994. He continues to make Pedro Ximenez (sherry), Muscadelle (Tokay), Liqueur Shiraz (previously known as Port) and Muscat (Brown and White) with only a small amount of SO2 used (no other preservatives or sulphides are used).
Duncan bought the Baskerville property in 1998. After establishing the small organic vineyard Harris retired from his career as an engineer in 2001 and built an underground cellar in which to store and mature wines in a cooler environment.
In 2002 the new tasting room was constructed. The wines are made from estate wines and other vineyards in the region. The non-dessert wine range includes Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Verdelho, Chenin Blanc and a Rose made that was believed to be from Petit Verdot. In fact is is from the Portuguse variety, Bastado, and is a pretty interesting wine. A new addition is the Madeleine Claire Sparkling (named after Duncan and Deb's daughter).
The stand out wine for me is the bone-dry fino-style Fleur de Madeline sherry made from Madeleine grapes (more commonly seen in France's Loire valley). I haven't rated the other fortifieds as they show a touch of volatile acidity. My nose is pretty sensitive to this and once detected it spoils the rest of the wine for me.
There is an extensive range of back vintages on offer from the cellar door on request.
There are three types of Tasting notes:
(W) Notes from the winery (blurbs from bottle)
(GXY) Notes from a GenXY wine reviewer
(G) Notes from GenXY's Tasting events (collective opinions)
Leda Swan Fleur de Madeleine NV
Purchased: From a dinner with the winemaker ($23 for 375 ml bottle)
Drink: 2010
(GXY) Tasting: April 2010, bone dry fino-style sherry made from the Madeleine grape, the ullaged cask is topped up each year to keep the flor yeast alive, some sweet orange notes on the nose with nutty rancio and well developed briny flor, the 15% alcohol is well integrated, only 100 bottles of this well made aperitif are made each year, one less after my purchase (****1/2)
Harris Organic Wines Verdelho 2008
Purchased: From a dinner with the winemaker ($18)
Drink: 2010
(GXY) Tasting: April 2010, quite rich with creamy lees texture, medium sweet with melon, pineapple and almond aspects, well balanced acid crispness with good length for the variety (****)
Harris Organic Wines Grape Pickers Reserve Chenin Blanc 2008
Purchased: Not ($18)
Drink: 2010
(GXY) Tasting: April 2010, there is a 5% Muscadelle input, yellow gold colour, old Swan Valley style with fruit picked rather ripe from a non-irrigated vineyard, fermented to full dryness and matured in seasoned oak for nine months, dried apple and pineapple with tobacco, smoky cedar and caramel nuances, crisp malic acids (***1/2)
Leda Swan Petit Verdot Rose 2005
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2007
(GXY) Tasting: April 2010, mis-identified, this turns out to be made from old fortified wine stalwart, Bastado, still is an interesting light-medium bodied wine, blood orange colour, spicy blood plum and redcurrant with dried herb notes, fermented to full dryness with a chalky texture, acids just starting to fade (***1/2)
Leda Swan Shiraz 1999
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2009
(GXY) Tasting: March 2006, from 55 year old dry grown vines, warmer early ripening vintage, earthy plum and cassis with leather, white pepper, chocolate and vanilla notes, sweeter fruitier style than the 2000, American and French oak, still fairly firm acids and tannins for its age (***)
Leda Swan O.G. Shiraz 2002
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2010
(GXY) Tasting: March 2006, smooth plum and blackberry with savoury notes, earthy and medium bodied palate, fine and ripe tannins, US and French oak brings a spicy vanilla-choc finish (***)
Leda Swan Chenin Blanc 2000
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2007
(GXY) Tasting: March 2006, deep golden colour, mellow melon, pineapple and tropical fruit flavours, toasty palate, soft chalky finish but there is still just enough citric acid to keep the balance, drink up soon though (***)
Leda Swan Chenin Blanc 2003
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2007
(GXY) Tasting: March 2006, light gold colour, drier style, melon and tropical fruit flavours, slight bitterness on finish (**1/2)
Leda Swan Shiraz 2000
Purchased: Not
Drink: 2008
(GXY) March 2006, cooler late ripening vintage, earthy plum and cassis with leather and vanilla notes, oak-driven style but still finishing bitter and astringent despite its age (**1/2)
