Ballandean Estate Late Harvest Sylvaner 2019

Bottled in tall halves, in many respects, this is one of the most interesting wines made on the Granite Belt, though it is far from an every-vintage proposition. 

Many Australian winelovers might not be aware that some years ago, mid 90s I’d guess as my copy is currently boxed away for a house move, the world famous champagne guru, Tom Stevenson, also wrote on other wines and published a highly respected book on Alsace. In it, and forgive me if I am not exact here as, as I mentioned, my copy is AWOL, he basically declared all Alsace Sylvaner a disgrace (I may be paraphrasing a little) and told the world that they should take note of how it is done on the Granite Belt in Queensland. And in particular, the wonderful 1991 Ballandean Estate Sylvaner (in those days, they were in full bottles, not halves). As you can imagine, this caused a bit of a stir at the time. 

I drank my way through a few of those stunners from that vintage over the years (subsequent releases have been just as impressive), but I knew I had one bottle left. Problem was that I did not know where. As I mentioned above, I’m mid-move (a horrendous experience and something I would strongly counsel against anyone ever doing again. Never move!!), and when cleaning out some boxes at the back of my python-infested garage, guess what I found! I must have put it aside when I moved to my old place, around fifteen years ago, intending to drink it and then not realised. It had sat and cooked for fifteen years. The poor thing was half ullage and in a very sad state indeed (which did not stop my postie grabbing it and a few others – good luck!). 

This latest vintage? A lovely golden hue. It is a late harvest wine, rather than botrytis-infected, but there is plenty of sweetness. It is just so finely balanced with the acidity that it appears less sweet than it is. Flavours of beeswax and honey. A slight wheaty note. Very good length. I like this a lot. A sticky that can sit comfortably with whatever other regions can offer. Just make sure you give it better treatment than a box in the back of the garage.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic