The
New Barossa
Part 12:
Massena
Back in 1999 Dan
Standish and Jaysen Collins (above) were working the vintage at
Taylor's in the Clare Valley, stuck on the midnight shift. So when
they started their own venture together in 2000, they named one of
their wines 'The Moonlight Run' after the nightly journey they made
to the Clare. There's also a story behind another of their wines,
the 11th Hour Shiraz, which is from a patch of old vines in Greenock
that were about to be rooted up until they swooped for the grapes -
yes, you guessed it - at the 11th hour. I don't know the story
behind the howling dog Durif, but then this dark, extreme wine is
only made in tiny amounts.
Currently,
Massena isn't a big outfit - running at around 1000 cases - but it
is beginning to make waves. 1000 cases are made, mainly from old
vineyards in the western ridge/Greenock areas. The wines are quite
striking and modern, but not overly so.
In common with
almost all of these new Barossa outfits, there is no physical
winery. Jaysen and Dan have barrels in a couple of locations, one of
which is in a barn that belongs to a grower (where I tasted), the
other of which isn't accessible at the weekend (this heavily
fortified location is where Torbreck store most of their wines). My
notes here are confined to just a few barrel samples, therefore,
although I've tried finished Massena wines on several occasions
(some notes are below).
Massena
Moonlight Run 2003 (cask sample of component)
Smooth, open, sweet nose. The palate smooth, rich and concentrated:
a seamless wine. Impressive
Shiraz 2003
(younger vines)
Part of the 11th Hour. Dark, spicy, intense nose. The palate shows
great intensity: very spicy with some firm tannins. Vivid, intense
and fruity this is a bold style with lots of presence. 92-94/100
Shiraz 2004
(younger vines)
Very full aromatic nose. Quite ripe and sweet - sweeter than the 03.
Massive, sweet primary fruit on palate. A vibrant wine.
Other notes on
Massena wines:
One of Massena's (unpruned)
old Grenache vines at Greenock |
Massena Howling Dog Durif 2002 Barossa, Australia
Serious and dark, with an intense, rich black fruits nose
which is dark and spicy. The palate is explosively ripe and
rich with spicy dark fruits. Tarry and bold with blackcurrant
and blackberry. Massive, bold and porty. Very good/excellent
92/100
(09/04)
Massena 11th Hour Shiraz 2002
Inky black. There’s a slight hint of ginger on the spicy
nose, which exhibits lots of intense fruit character. Good
concentration on the palate with lovely rich, spicy-edged
fruit. Very bold and ripe with smooth tannins. Too much
alcohol, though? Very good/excellent 90/100
(01/04)
Massena The Moonlight Run 2001 Barossa
Taut, spicy, slightly herby nose with some savoury woody
notes. The palate is richly fruited and has a lovely savoury
spicy character. Nicely structured, this is a bold wine. Very
good/excellent 92/100 (01/04) |
Massena
11th Hour Shiraz 2001 Barossa
Ripe
yet savoury spicy berry fruit nose, with some tarry, smoky notes and
plenty of complexity. Good concentration on the palate with a
distinctive tarry, spicy edge. Very intense with firm but smooth
tannins and prominent but well integrated oak. Bold, with so much
intensity it is difficult to pull the components apart – typically
Barossan in style. Very good/excellent 92
/100 (08/03)
Part 14: Teusner
Part
15: Troy Kalleske
Part
16: Clancy Fuller
Part
17: Domenic Torzi, revisited
Part
18: Rusden
Part
19: Kym Teusner, revisited
Part
20: Veritas, revisited
Part
21: Greg Hobbs, revisited
Part
22: Massena vertical
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