The Auswine Forum

Instant gut reaction is that the judges are trying to send a message that balanced wines are the future. Big alc% wines are very unpopular, (at least with those vaguely in the wineverse), and those in the know (either trendy or informed) are looking to newer, fresher less weighty styles for their f...

I agree with Mahmoud. Rare doesnt always mean cellerable Big can mean cellarable but not always - I would be cautious of the Summerfields as well. Smithy lurks here, he may chime in on the Warrabilla's. Balanced is more likely to lead to cellarability. You mention you're new at this. Against that b...

I'd head to the Artisans of the Barossa Cellar Door in Tanunda...bound to have something interesting on.

I tried the 06 at the Artisans of the Barossa tasting...may have been a bit jaded by the time of got to it, and didn't take great notes, but certainly didn't stand out as being remarkable. Mind you a lot of 06's are big on structure and not much else at present. Just about every local wine scribe wo...

Brett becomes an issue when it is distractingly apparent in a wine...bet then so to does acidity, phenolics, fruit sweetness, vegetal notes and just about every other character one can find in a glass of wine. Agree with others re the brett 'buzz' that spreads like wildfire at a tasting as soon as s...

I lurk more than post nowadays so maybe my opinion is null and void, but that is just straight out cat throwing crazy. Monghead I take no issue at all with terms that imply the presence of spousal attributes. Gotta love that urban dictionary. I would have throught a history of valuable contribution ...

I know this is a little offtopic since this is not a port (in fact it's not even a fortified), and not under $30, but you're open to suggestion, at our August Spanish tasting our WOTD was the following (TN by TiggerK): Romate Cardenal Cisneros Pedro Ximenez ($56) - Oohh, what a way to finish, where...

Thanks Graeme and Sean. I also read the Rewards of Patience omissions as those wine not being produced in those years...funny that they would just leave them out without any reference at all.

I am trying to compile a list of Australian wines that have a 40 year plus run of consecutive vintages. Grange is a gimme, St Henri kicked off in 56, with an unbroken run of vintages from 66. 389 almost qualifies with continuous production from 75, same with the Bin 28. I suppose we should take the ...

Make very little use of a sommelier unless I have a specific query or perhaps in the mood to try something entirely unknown. If there is not one wine jumping out at me I might ask a question or two once I have narrowed the field. To be honest the concept of food and wine matching is not vitally impo...

Had a quick visit at Brown Bros CD which is always interesting given the diversity of wines on offer and frequency with which the line-up changes. They seem to have done away with the old Cellar Door releas label and replaced that with smart looking Limited Release labels...prices seem to have crept...

Nice write up. Encouraged to hear that the 2007 Abbot's Prayer was on song - an earlier vintage was one of the wines that sparked my interest in wine generally. Would you say the 2007 is a keeper? It was a difficult vintage in SA as a general rule. Hard to say, Henschke are usually pretty conservat...

This all actually relates to a quick trip we took late last year. Went to the trouble of writing it up and never posted it for some reason. Recently had a week meandering through SA. The shitty weather took care of any plans I had for golf, hiking and other activities so we took in a few (read lot!...

I for one like the new label. Being adapted from an original label it retains its historical signicicance...hardly a case of marketing types changing things that arent broken. Anyone who has spoken with Alistair and the team at Tahbilk will know they are not ones to change for the sake of it. Will a...

Intersting comments. Agree on the whites. Pretty broad and uninspiring as a collective. I have been enjoying a few bottles of the 09 Alicante recently, though not putting a great deal of thought into it. There's a touch of phenolic grip that adds a bit of interest for me, and the trace of fruit swee...

rens, thats right - VP ages like a dry red. Tawny port has been aged in barrel and is a more oxidative style, further aging in bottle can just see it lose freshness. cheers Andrew Concur with the above. With most Australian fortifieds we have good distinction between style, and it's a safe generali...

Can agree with snippets of everything that's been written here. Wayno summed up my thoughts on the wines well. BP Shiraz, Rod & Spur and Rifle Range all consistently over-deliver for mine, and I enjoy the Alicante Bouchet as well. Have never purchased the Sparkling, (though have enjoyed it when ...

I tasted the majority of those listed last week. Ended up buying the 08 Cornerstone Grenache, 07 Cab (probably my pick of the line-up), and the 05 Seven Acre. Within style I think the wines are fine. Certainly at the bigger end, and 18.5% Shiraz doesn't interest me much, but this is the exception ra...

Daz wrote Jeremy, have you tried Tahbilk Roussanne 08? I guzzled the 3-4 bottles I got - maybe I got some more after that, don't remember for sure! But I did also get a bottle aged 3-4 years. It showed some marmalade aged characfers, was very enjoyable (even though I'm not a big fan of aged whites)...

I think the mechanical versus hand picking issue is more marketing than anything. If a winery favours one method over the other of course they will find the benefit in it to share with their customers. Of course we have the perception of dew skinned maidens gently plucking grapes from vines, and car...

Not for me to question, but do we really need two weekly drinking threads?

Mumm NV Don't recall it being this good. Bright and lively, lemony fresh with fine texture, and subtle fresh baked bread notes. Length and persistence, good stuff. 2007 Yalumba Scribbler Nice wine, ripe enough and only a little more than medium bodied. True to cab/shiraz style, plum and raspberry f...

Kilikanoon Parable Shiraz 2002 : McLaren Vale: Very aromatic wine with a rich plush chocolatey /dark berried palate.....very typical MV shiraz and very typical '02 vintage Nice wine for the price around $30 i think ross I picked some up from Gray's a while back at a hefty $8 or $9 per bottle, and t...

To clear up a few myth-conceptions... The wine is produced solely from estate grown fruit, and always has been since 1970. The aim of the producer has always been to make a balanced wine with regional expression, and varietal definition a feature. I drink this wine perhaps more than any other single...

2007 Dalrymple Sauvignon Blanc Up there with the best Aussie SB in my opinion. Grassy without being overtly herbaceous, just a dash of mulchy funk, passionfruit and waxy stonefruits. Great in the mouth, really nice texture, I'm presuming a little time in oak, and soft acids that just keep on trucki...

pstarr wrote:Roughred, did you get the Brown Bros 2004 sparkling red recently from anywhere in particular? The CD has moved onto the 2006.

Actually despite being CD only it came from an e-tailer in Melbourne with a number of other single bottles I picked up. Not sure how they got hold of it, but didn't ask.

A few sweet things... Torbreck 2005 'The Bothie' Pleasant nose, with a honeyed tokay character, and some minty, menthol notes in the background. Well balanced sweetness, just pulls up a little short. Wendouree 04/05 Muscat of Alexandria Dried sultantas, and a confronting petro/chemical note which su...

As an example winery X makes 15+ different wines, the top reserve being $120+, and asks $15 to taste 4 wines which were already in glass and we had no idea how long they had been "breathing". These wines were of the lower to middle level of marketing range. Gibbston Valley. You are allowe...

Thanks Sharkey, still amazes me how many wine styles Brown Bros either lead or are in the lead group with (interestingly mainly sweet). Very good comment. I'd suggest the Noble Riesling (now under the Patricia range) probably has the second best pedigree of any dessert wine in the country after nob...

Could it be Chambers or Gehrigs? Both celebrating their sesqu..sesqui..seques Both celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. Yes it is. Established in 1858 and operated by the legendary Bill Chambers and his son Stephen, the 6th generation of this family to make wine at Rosewood. And it's .......