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Established by Dr Max Lake in 1963 Lake’s Folly was one of Australia’s first boutique wineries. It is a wine brand that has never strayed far away from controversy. The vineyard is regarded as one of the best sites in the Hunter Valley yet it began by planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in a region better known for Shiraz and Semillon. The ‘Folly’ built up an enviable reputation, epitomising the wine dream and attracting a loyal following of devotees. During the mid 1980s at the height of its success Lake’s Folly was found in almost every serious wine collector’s cellar and enjoyed a fame almost akin to the cult wine scene of the late 1990s.
Its fortunes began to turn during the mid 1990s after several years of sluggish enthusiasm from wine critics, perceived quality problems, the waning enthusiasm of its owners and the lessening interest in the Hunter Valley as a serious quality wine producer. Until now I have had a poor view of Lake’s Folly because the wines have just so often failed to live up to their reputation. Max Lake once told me about the ‘crisis of expectations’, ironically an appropriate description for his once over-famous wines. The wines however are on the come back trail. The 2001 and 2002 Lake’s Folly Chardonnays are both excellent. The 2000 and 2001 Cabernets illustrate that the eye is back on the ball with greater things, no doubt, yet to come.
In 2000, Max and Stephen Lake sold the ‘Folly’ lock, stock and barrels to Peter Fogarty whose smart cards are smarting some of the best addresses around the world. It is difficult to imagine why a Western Australian entrepreneur would invest in a flagging brand on the east coast – it is not as if the man is short of a million or so frequent flyer points. On the other hand it might take a quixotic character to fully understand the potential of such a folly.
The 12 hectare vineyard, planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay (some Petit Verdot, Shiraz and Merlot), is regarded as one of the best plots of land in the lower Hunter Valley. The anecdotal evidence suggests that its potential has rarely been realised. The wine term terroir is a cliché which is expressed and amplified by every winemaker and marketeer in the land. If you believe that wine is more that just the sum of its parts then the weather in the winemaker’s mind is rather critical. It is ironic therefore that Lake’s Folly’s definition of terroir (see www.lakesfolly.com.au) embraces the idea that it is "not easily modified by man". If that is the case why are the wines now so substantially better and in such quick-time?
Apparently not much has actually changed at Lake’s Folly since it was purchased by Peter Fogarty except that Rodney Kempe, previously a winemaker at McGuigans, is now completely in charge of winemaking. There is no question that his clear-headed, calm approach to winemaking is reaping dividends. No doubt Peter Payard’s long standing experience as assistant winemaker at the Folly provides the thread of continuity and a meaningful historical resource.
On the basis of a review of vintages, Lake’s Folly’s fortunes seem to be on the rise. The wines are more convincing than they have been for a long time. Furthermore there are a number of factors that will begin to work for them. Lake’s Folly has always pursued a philosophy of single estate wine. As the market becomes saturated with brand focused ultra-fine wines the idea of a truly limited production, delineated wine has plenty of attraction. The red wine market is also steering away from overly concentrated soupy wines. Chardonnay is not such a great issue but clearly the Lake’s Folly style sits on the cusp of lean and fat making it something of a crowd pleaser. Pricing remains realistic in a market looking for value. Wines over $40 a bottle have become very tight. In truth there are plenty of highly rated but overly priced wines out there. Lake’s Folly has a well known brand name and in some respects critical opinion hasn’t really filtered dramatically into the market place. Finally limited production size has probably weathered the fluctuation of market sentiment – no one could ever accuse Lake’s Folly of greed, now or then.
On the debit side Lake’s Folly Cabernet represents both an unfashionable wine region and variety. This is always going to make things difficult, but things do change. If quality is the highest priority, it could well win back and gain more credence than ever before. The Hunter Valley does need beacons of quality and meaningful places which reflect a generosity of spirit. Lake’s Folly is on track to achieve this.
Chardonnay
2002 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Pale colour. Intense tropical fruit/pineapple lime pear drop aromas with touch of dusty oak complexity. Quite tightly structured with pear drop/limey fruit, underlying savoury oak, fine indelible acidity finishing long and flavoursome. 90/100
2001 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Pale colour. Ripe generous guava/passion fruit/melon aromas with a touch of grilled nuts. Very fruit driven wine. Richly textured, satisfying wine with guava/melon grilled nut flavours, fine minerally but cutting acidity with plenty of savoury oak complexity. Finishes long and minerally. 93/100
2000 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium pale colour. Creamy melon/slight herb garden aromas - hint of oiliness. Richly concentrated wine with creamy flavours. Quite phenolic/hot with some lemon curd/menthol characters. Bacon and eggs style, but should drink soon. 86/100
1999 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium pale brassy colour. Developed savoury malty/vanillin aromas - quite loose knit - touch of caramello - smells quite worked. Quite hard tasting wine - melon vanilla flavours but quite hard woody flavours. Finishes tangy with medium length. Drink soon. 82/100
1998 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium pale yellow. Dusty savoury oak, oily tones/brassy characters, old fashioned. Fleshy wine with savoury oak and plenty of peachy fruit characters. Quite hard almost metallic acidity. Medium length. Not much finesse. 84/100
1997 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Brassy yellow. Very deep butter menthol/butterscotch aromas. Richly flavoured supple wine with butterscotch/apricot flavours and plenty of malty oak. Fine tangy acidity which runs across the palate. Quite steely at the finish. 84/100
1996 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Brassy yellow. Buttered toast aromas with some peach/nectarine characters. Minerally wine – toasty/alum/lanolin flavours, fine mineral acidity and plenty of flavour length. Can't imagine this getting any better. Drink now. 86/100
1995 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium deep colour. Perfumed deep melon/peachy/apricot aromas with plenty of malty caramel aromas. Lovely balance between fruit and age. Lively high pitched palate with melon/peach flavours and some malty/tobacco characters, acidity is almost searing - both preservative and palate destroyer. Need to drink with food. 85/100
1994 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium deep colour. Quite refined wine with apricot/biscuity aromas. Very tight unyielding wine – apricot/herb flavours, medium concentration. Touch tobacco at the finish, but quite bitter sweet. 80/100
1993 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Medium deep colour. Lemon curd/menthol aromas. High pitched wine with strong acidity, lemon curd flavours, some tobacco, medium concentration and length. Acidity pronounced and unyielding. 79/100
1989 Lake's Folly Chardonnay
Pale medium colour. Very youthful melon/peach some biscuity characters. Quite perfumed - almost like incense. Richly flavoured wine with lemon curd/apricot flavours, some leafy ness. Fine indelible acidity. Finishes quite chalky. 84/100
Cabernet
2001 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson colour. Intense floral/violet/liquorice aromas with touches of herb/cassis. Some black chocolate. Very concentrated high pitched wine with chocolate/violet flavours, touch of black olive, fine sinewy tannins, pencil-like oak. Finishes long and sweet/savoury at the finish. Quite successful. 89/100
2000 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson colour. Chocolate iodine aromas - touch of herb garden. New oak pokes through, quite oily. Rich flavoured wine with chocolate/herb garden flavours, fine grained tannins. Minerally black cherry flavours at the finish. Excellent fruit sweetness. 90/100
1999 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Earthy/tobacco/touch iodine/chocolate aromas. Well concentrated wine with choco-iodine/herb flavours, quite strong gravelly tannins and some underlying oak Quite a ballsy/cumbersome style for Lakes Folly. Finishes firm and tight with some good flavour length. 85/100
1998 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson colour. Oily iodine/chocolate/menthol - very muscular style /lead pencil. Very concentrated fruit sweet style with b/ackcurrant essence/black strap liquorice flavours, deep set grainy tannins, underlying cedar complexity. Finishes firm and strongly flavoured. Like sucking on a liquorice stick. 91/100
1997 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson colour. Quite generous leafy blackcurrant /touch of cedar aromas. Looser knit and very different to 1998. Quite restrained leafy/blackcurrant flavours, fine quite pronounced leafy tannins, but core of fruit sweetness and plenty of flavour length. 85/100
1996 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Pond water/chocolate/herb garden/mineral aromas. Some violet. Well balanced palate with mineral/dark cherry/herb garden flavours, tannins build up to being firm and tight at the finish. 89/100
1995 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Earthy/tobacco touch (brett) iodine/chocolate aromas. Well concentrated wine with choco-iodine herb flavours, quite strong gravelly tannins and some underlying oak. Quite a ballsy/cumbersome style for Lakes Folly. Finishes firm and tight with some meaty/soupy notes. 84/100
1994 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Intense minty/menthol bretty wine. Very concentrated flavours - quite meaty/ gamey characters/some blackcurrants, very sinewy tannins, building up bitter and tight. Still has a core of fruit sweetness. 81/100
1993 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium crimson. Minty/menthol touch gamey/shitty aromas. Very soupy gamey/bretty/soapy flavours, medium concentration, finishes quite short and grippy. 77/100
1992 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep crimson. Most odd red cherry/soupy/raisin aromas. Quite tight and cold flavoured, red cherry/soupy flavours, fine bitter sweet tannins finishing long and sweet. 79/100
1991 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep crimson. Intense choco-leather aromas some meaty/gamey notes. Most fruit sweet so far. Intensely flavoured concentrated wine with choco-leather flavours, Fine bitter sweet but grainy tannins finishing quite cedary and long. 93/100
1990 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep crimson. Chocolatey/leafy aromas - quite soupy - bitter chocolate. Choco- cedar flavours, with plenty of fruit sweetness, some leathery Hunter aged characters, but plenty of fruit sweetness. Finishes chalky and sweet. Plenty of flavour length. 87/100
1989 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep crimson. Very black olive/brett aromas - chocolatey characters. Brett is too strong. Quite minerally feral wine with black olive goaty/ sticky plaster, bitter sweet tannins finishing long and bretty. 81/100
1988 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep colour. Very loose knit red cherry/tobacco aromas - plenty of fruit sweetness. Very light wine but quite minerally, good fruit sweetness , fine grainy tannins. Very elegant cabernet Bordeaux like. Finishes clean and tight. 88/100
1987 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep colour. Polish. Leather/brasso aromas - oily. Rich deep concentrated wine with sweet leather/brasso flavours, fine sinewy tannins - finishing firm and tight. Brett again. 85/100
1986 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep colour. Quite musty liquorice/leather aromas. Cherry stone characters. Sweet fruited wine - supple tannins. All three bottles didn't quite deliver – generic TCA problem? No Score
1985 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep colour. Pond water/cherry stone/black olive aromas - quite odd. Black olive cherry stone flavours – some savoury elements, fine supple tannins. Quite hard finish. Acidity pokes out. 79/100
1983 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep colour. Cherry red fruits/leather characters.. Sweet fruited wine with red cherry/red currant flavours, some leathery notes, fine brittle tannins, finishing firm and tight. 85/100
1982 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Medium deep. Red cherry/menthol/leathery aromas. Sweet fruited/red cherry - quite tight wine with fine powdered tannins and plenty of flavour length - this is quite a pretty wine. 88/100
1981 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Menthol/leather aromas - very archetypal Hunter. Some black olive. Rich succulent wine with plenty of fruit sweetness, soft fine tannins building up form, finishing long and sweet. 87/100
1980 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep crimson. Intense complex dusty/tar/oily wine. Rich chocolatey sweet fruit flavours, fine slinky tannins finishing quite chalky. Rustic wine. 84/100
1972 Lake's Folly Cabernet
Deep colour. Sweet mushroom/leather aromas. Deep sweet leather, mushroomy flavours, some cherry chocolate characters, fine chalky tannins building up grippy and tight. But plenty of flavour length. 90/100
Andrew Caillard MW
Langton’s
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