On the 4th July I headed over to Lamont’s to meet Lamont’s Chief Winemaker, Digby Leddin and Assistant Winemaker,  Samuel Jorgensen. They showcased Lamont’s newly released 2012 White Monster as well as the 2013 Riesling, 2013 Verdelho and NV Navera!

We tasted the below wines:
2009 Vintage Sparkling
2013 Frankland River Riesling
2013 Lamont’s Verdelho
2012 Lamont’s Quartet (Semillon, Chardonny, Sauvignon, Verdelho)
2012 Lamont’s White Monster
2013 Lamont’s Bunyip Rosé (Shiraz and Malbec)
2011 Lamont’s Family Reserve
2010 Lamon’ts Malbec
NV Lamont’s Navera

The vintage sparkling had spent 3 hours on skins giving it a bit more flavour and depth. Many of the grapes were hand picked and pressed straight away. The aromas of strawberries and light fruit on the nose enticed me to taste the wine which offered some depth and complexity with a streak of high acidity.

Last year was the first year of making the Riesling. I agreed with their explanation of the wine, ‘ austere with flinty minerality and citrus notes along with a lifet on the nose with lemon lime.’ I found it was refreshing and it can only improve with age over the coming year. It would work beautifully as an aperatif on a warm spring day.

The Verdelho is from Chittering, in the Swan Valley. Verdelho is at home here in the Swan Valley but needs to be picked when they’re ripe. This is a well rounded wine with notes of grapefruit, stone fruit and melon.

2012 Lamont’s Quartet (Semillon, Chardonny, Sauvignon, Verdelho) is a refreshing wine with aromas of melon and peach and I agree with the winemakers when they mentioned ‘leaness’ in the wine. Lovely with light chicken dishes or on a warm spring afternoon.

The White Monster was delicious. It spent 9 months in barrel (in new French oak) and 3 months of the 9 months consisted of lees stirring. Sixty percent of the wine underwent malo lactic fermentation (when the tart malic acid present in all wines is converted into the softer lactic acid) as opposed to one hundred percent prior. The change in the malo lactic status meant a more complex and restrained wine – lovely.

In the 2013 Lamont’s Bunyip Rosé (Shiraz, Viognier and Malbec), the Shiraz, Viognier and Malbec comes from a vineyard in Donnybrook. The Shiraz also comes from the Swan Valley. The aromas of strawberries and cream spring out from the glass with aromas of berries and a touch of sweetness on the palate.

2011 Lamont’s Family Reserve is made up of 85% Cabernet and 15% Malbec. On the nose cassis and ripe berries and dominant which follows through on the palate with a ripeness to it with soft tannins.

NV Lamont’s Navera has a beautiful colour to it – along with a wonderful smell and taste! They bottle 1000 litres a year of the Navera. Spice, marmalade on the nose with a hint of Christmas cake entices you to taste the wine. With so much complexity coupled with the high acidity and flavours of Christmas cake, marzipan, orange peel, it really could last for 20 years.

Bookings were not required for wine tasting but guests could stay on after and have dinner. I had a prior engagement so had to shoot off, next time I’ll make sure I stay for dinner!