The Auswine Forum

My recent experience of the 2004 was actually very similar. Quite enchanting and interesting on the nose, and some pleasant elements on the palate, but the wine lacked stuffing and finished bitter. Perhaps it's just that it's early days for the vineyard, but I had expected a bit more.

I've never had Providence, but had the pleasure of trying five vintages of The Antipodean (1990, 1992, 1994 and 1997) and the 1993 Obiter (100% cabernet sauvignon) over dinner with the proprieters in June 2001. A very memorable evening. Lovely, lovely wine. The Antipodean is a blend of cabernet sauv...

Great work. Many thanks.

NZ has the same problem - not enough good distribution reps keeping tabs on what's on the shelves in New York. Last time I was there, a year ago, there were three, four and even five year old bottles of entry level sauvignon blanc in shops. Embarrassing.

I tend to use wine in this category for making beef stock, which I then freeze in ice cube trays and add to dishes through the winter. Get a really big pot. Roast about three or four kilos of beef marrow bones for about 90 minutes at about 200 degrees, to get lots of caramelisation on the base of th...

Thank God, just like Michael Jackson I almost suffered heart failure at the thought of losing to Craig

n4sir I can handle.

Sorry n4sir, well done, I was so busy buggering around looking to see whether Banjo Patterson fitted the bill that I failed to note you'd beaten me to it.

The New Zealand born racehorse Phar Lap?

Taminick Cellars?

Le Pin?

It would appear they're in a garage!

Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington are very good, their website is regionalwines.co.nz and under the reviews icon you can get a number of Geoff Kelly's excellent notes on obscure and old wines, as well as new releases, some of which aren't on geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz The other star in Wel...

1989 Jim Barry Armagh Boy, what a lovely wine. It's at that great stage where there's as much primary fruit as secondary complexity showing through. It blossomed in the glass, showing more and more sweet perfumed fruit. We were left wishing we had another. Wine of the year for me so far.

How was the 2001 Craig? I have one of that left. Drank all the others years ago and can't recall whether it was a star.

The 2002 Pegasus Bay Riesling I drank earlier this week. Nectar.

We would very gladly host a lunch and open some bottles for Auswine members travelling through the Wairarapa ... www.wycroft.com

I agree with Craig; the 2006 is even better - all those lovely, delicate, ethereal elements in a medium bodied wine, but a broader spectrum and slightly greater concentration. Special wine.

Seddo, the Patricia is still in quite a primary phase but also has lovely mouthfeel. It will be lovely over the next five years at least, after which I think it'll start showing more secondary characters. Two more years would probably be ideal.

I'm just drinking the 2002 Brown Brothers' Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon. Lovely wine. Intense blackcurrant and spice; lovely weight and balance. Wish I had more.

Hmm, will NZ suffer the same fate? I know increasing numbers are counting on the US to be their saviour.

Good luck in 8s is very important to the Chinese. I don't see why you couldn't get $88,888,88.

More than that might be pushing it

I haven't tried it but would expect the 96 Wynns Michael to be a solid effort and approaching its drinking window, if not at its peak. It was a good vintage, I think. Don't know anything about the other bottles I'm afraid.

Thanks Sue, greatly appreciated.

Hi Sue, yeah, I saw that, and on the same day the following column was published in the Independent: Mr Parker, we presume? In case recent advertising had you thinking otherwise, Robert Parker has not tasted or rated any local wines recently Nick Bryant I wrote late last year of how pleased I was th...

Indeed Sue, please do keep citing examples if you see them.

Cheers,

Nick

I've had a quick email dialogue with Neal. He says it's disappointing and will probably ask NZ Winegrowers to monitor it and request proper clarification in cases where people are using Parker's name incorrectly.

At ease people.

Further to this, I did a compilation of Neal Martin's assessment of 2006 vintage NZ pinots. My username and a name on the list will reveal my interest. Cheers, Nick 95 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir Felton Road Pinot Noir Block Three Rippon Vineyard Pinot Noir Central Otago 94 Palliser Estate Pinot ...

2003 Brown Brothers Cellar Door Release Tempranillo Some nice fruit but tending toward simple and candy-like. 2003 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Merlot/Cabernet A bit austere - not unripe, but all spine and no flesh. Thinks, hmm, I've got half a bottle of blousy candy juice and half a bot...

Aargh, keeping my hands off my 98 Morris Durif is proving very difficult. Lovely stuff. Hasn't changed much since I bought it - tannins just softening a little. Their 99 effort isn't bad either - just slightly lighter weight but beautifully ripe. We don't see many other durif producers on this side ...

I'd agree, Rifleman's should be there; most recent release is very special. My pick for the country's best chardonnay is the infrequently made Fromm Reserve - muscular, sinewy, classy and built for long, long life. I'm also constantly impressed by the delicious flavour spectrum of Seresin's chardonn...

Oops, sorry, obviously didn't read the thread carefully enough.