Weekly Drinking Reports starting 7/1/13 - 12/1/13

[dlo]

Thought I'd kick this off seeing we haven't had one for a while.

Some time ago a bought a case of Hungerford Hill Pokolbin Semillon 2010 and what a crisp, refreshing wine it is. Classic young Semillon aromas and flavours with a decidedly long finish. Very good as a summer quaffer now but with some future for bottle development characters to emerge. 86 11% A/V Screwcap Drink now - 2020

Opened a 1996 Seppelt Dorrien, a wine with a disturbing history of bottle variation. This bottle was spot on with classic secondary Cabernet nuance in both the bouquet and palate. Right in the groove now with melting tannins, surprisingly good acidity and lovely sweet mixed berry fruit profile augmented by classy cedar and vanilla from some very fine oak. Classy finish. 92 13% A/V Cork Drink now

Seppelt's 1998 Original Sparkling Shiraz provides a lush and satisfying glass of red bubbles holding a bricking colour, very fine streams of active bead, terrific lifted aromas of dark plums, sweet earth, blackberries and aged leather characters. Retaining ample fresh fruit mimicking the bouquet, the palate houses bucketloads of invigorating swirling mousse, crisp, excellent delineation and a rich, smooth and quite refreshing finish. Just great for drinking in very warm weather. 92 14% A/V Cork drink now - 2018

Robert Arnoux's 2002 Nuits Saint Georges "les Proces" is a sexy, dark-fruited and expressive pinot of just medium body with ample sappiness complimenting the black cherry and plush raspberry fruit. Subtle oak compliments a fine vein of racy acidity to provide a smooth and balanced outcome on a long and satisfying departure. 90 13% A/V Cork Drink now - 2017+

[griff]

2010 O'Leary Walker Polish Hill Riesling
Already starting to develop some toast with lime marmelade. Weighty for a riesling and I suspect an early developer. Good.

2010 Mosswood Amy's Blend
Does what it said on the tin. Well balaned medium weight Margaret cabernet. Plummy. Good.

cheers

Carl

[ticklenow1]

A few over the last week or so:

1998 Pol Roger Vintage Champagne. France. 13%. Not my thing at all but you could tell the difference from a cheaper Champagne. I found it a bit bitter and whilst it still had plenty of fizz, I found it lacked something. It did seem to grow on me a bit by the second glass. 3/5

NV Moet and Chandon Champagne. France. As above, just not for me and in all honesty I preferred the Pol Roger. I found this a little one dimensional. My wife did make the comment that neither of these two wines is a patch on Ruinart. 2.5/5

2012 Charles Melton Rose of Virginia Rose. Barossa Valley. 13%. What Rockford's Black Shiraz is to Sparkling Shiraz, Rose of Virginia is to Rose. Just a stunning example of the style. I'd go as far as to say, probably the best ROV we've had. Quite a serious Rose, the colour is the first thing that stands out. It is quite a deep bright pink, almost crimson. The depth of flavour is quite incredible for a Rose as well. Some raspberry and cherry and just enough sweetness to make it extremely refreshing. Outstanding. 4.5/5

2004 Pondalowie Vineyards Special Release Cabernet. Bendigo. 14%. A beautiful cooler climate Cabernet which is not something I've had a lot of. Decanted for 1 hour. Black fruits and blueberries dominate the nose and palate. A bit of toasty oak is there but only in the background. The supple tannins along with the ease of which the fruit shines through suggest that this will go for a few more years yet. 3.5/5

2002 Ingoldby Golden Vine Reserve Shiraz. McLaren Vale. 15%. I bought a six pack of these upon release and while 2 of them were faulty in some way (thanks Sparky), this bottle is right on song. Decanted for 2 hours. Probably only medium bodied but has a power that is so subtle. The black fruit is the main player and while the oak is detectable, it is just so well balanced and the alcohol doesn't show at all. The tannins are super fine and it finishes really long. I have definitely consumed these way to early as it is just starting to come together beautifully. Sadly, only one left. 4/5

2004 Old Plains Power of One. Shiraz. Adelaide Plains. 14.5%. I picked a few of these up off Gavin a few years back and it was staring me in the face as I walked into the cellar, so I thought I'd better try one and see how they are going. The answer is - extremely well. I'm not exactly sure where the "Adelaide Plains " region is, but this is a cracking wine. Probably edging into being full bodied, this is quite a powerful brutish wine, but it still has a silky finish. The balance is impeccable and the quality of the fruit can not be questioned. Black fruits, chocolate and liquorice dominate and it all comes together really well. I think I'll chase down the 2010 of this and really glad I have a couple more. 4/5

2008 Gomersal G2 Grenache. Barossa Valley. 14%. Every bottle I have of this seems to get better. This was most certainly the best (sadly my last) I've had. As I've said before, it just seems to have the right amount of confection. That and the softness of the wine contribute to what is such a typically Barossan Grenache. It is no complex wine, in fact it's quite simple. But maybe that it what makes it so nice. Yum. 3.5/5

Cheers
Ian

[Peter NZ]

Sunday is BYO night at Logan Brown in Wgtn, & for once I didn't have an early morning flight to Akld, so two wines that'll both be on the short list for my 2013 wines of the year:

2005 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay Favourite NZ chard at the top of its game -- pefect balance & weight, & mouthful of flavour. Perfect match for both the paua ravilo & crab cakes.

2006 Bell Hill Pinot Noir First time revisiting this since offline at Craig's 2 years ago, & doesn't seem to have evolved much since then -- still pretty primary, but just such a very good pinot.

Also:

1998 Penfolds Bin 407 I was sceptical about this wine when first drinking it 4 or 5 years ago, when it seemed horribly out of balance, but it's now come together very nicely as a classic 407. No hurry.

Cheers
Peter

[michel]

Sunday is BYO night at Logan Brown in Wgtn, & for once I didn't have an early morning flight to Akld, so two wines that'll both be on the short list for my 2013 wines of the year:

2005 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay Favourite NZ chard at the top of its game -- pefect balance & weight, & mouthful of flavour. Perfect match for both the paua ravilo & crab cakes.

2006 Bell Hill Pinot Noir First time revisiting this since offline at Craig's 2 years ago, & doesn't seem to have evolved much since then -- still pretty primary, but just such a very good pinot.

Also:

1998 Penfolds Bin 407 I was sceptical about this wine when first drinking it 4 or 5 years ago, when it seemed horribly out of balance, but it's now come together very nicely as a classic 407. No hurry.

Cheers
Peter

I made the mistake of trying a Bell Hill old weka 2009- just so young & tight it was a struggle- dont go there.
Sitting in Whangarei sipping a 2010 martinborough vineyard pinot - balanced and fruit driven with some oak tannins- very good wine.

[colin d]

In esteemed company here it seems that I can't compete with this time of the year, but I had a cheapy that impressed me.

2011 Hartog's Plate Cabernet Merlot, Forest Grove W.A., 14.5%. Never had this before, and in fact this was a Christmas present I opened with spag bol the other night. Straight out of the bottle it was kaboom in the mouth, definitely needed some resting to tame it down, loads of ripe berry fruit and alchohol to start with, but the next day it had tamed nicely to be a nice drop. On the net you can get it for around $12, that's pretty good value. A very nice above average quaffer with a year or three cellar potential.

[Sean]

deleted

[Michael R]

Hi Sean

2012 Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling - Light colour and lots to like about this because it has that balance of citrusy acidity and grapey drinkability that makes riesling a great summer option as a young wine. A really nice perfumed character, a little sherbet, loads of lime and freshness on the palate and dry on the finish.

Opened this on Sat too, and agree with you note. Half went back into the fridge (unusual circumstances), and forgotten about until last night...the freshness had obviously disapated somewhat but it still showed really well, particularly after it warmed up a touch. Liked it alot.

Also over the weekend
08 Eileen Hardy Chardy....still youthful, but in an even better place than ever before (have been drinking a few of these since release). Would recommend holding for another year or 2, but certainly no harm in opening now.
2010 Felton Rd Calvert...i was surprised how approachable this was, simply popped & poured, tannins quite gritty (which i dont mind), and the fruit is balanced by earthy characters. Liked it, but not sure what the drinking window is here.
2010 Oakridge Chardonnay...good, but a bit simple compared to the Eileen.

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks DLo. I was planning to open a 96 Dorrien last night, but the heat was too much. Now I'm flying back to bleak London where at least it's red wine season...

[monghead]

What I'm drinking now...

1998 Te Mata Coleraine
Perfect fill, and cork removed with no problems. Instant perfumed nose of violets, dark plums, and hints of asphalt. Minimal sediment, dark garnet hue with little to no bricking, belying its now 15 years. Medium bodied, but complex wine with multiple layers and fine powdery tannins. Nothing sticking out, and a well deserved Very Very Good.

monghead.

[sjw_11]

Pirie Estate Pinot Noir 2006 (Tas, s/cap)... Muscular style with a nose of concentrated, stewed black fruit and plums, carrying though a fairly heavy, sweetly fruited palate. Didn't offer much on day 1, certainly quite youthful still for the 6-yrs of age. Will have another look at it tonight to see if it has opened up more. Good value from a clearance run.

[Luke W]

a few beauties last nite:
Charteris Central Otago Riesling 2011- a pretty good attempt to meld the kiwi and Clare riesling styles
Pooleys Rock 2012 Riesling - dry and austere - make a good sparkling base
La testa Blend 2000 - still drinking wonderfully well (but poured straight from bottle)
Liebich The Darky 2005 - decanted an hour - beautiful full bodied red with great dark fruit
Wild Duck Ck Bridies Row 12 - (1998)- gorgeous shiraz still full of primary flavours
We also had a current Rockford Alicante Bouche and an old Rockforf Shiraz VP both of which we enjoyed

[Craig(NZ)]

1998 Te Mata Coleraine
Perfect fill, and cork removed with no problems. Instant perfumed nose of violets, dark plums, and hints of asphalt. Minimal sediment, dark garnet hue with little to no bricking, belying its now 15 years. Medium bodied, but complex wine with multiple layers and fine powdery tannins. Nothing sticking out, and a well deserved Very Very Good.

It's a vintage just just seems very slow to age. We have had to be very patient and will continue to need to be I think. I imagine the 2007 will be much the same in that respect

As for me had a 2006 Fromm Spatlese Riesling the other day after a long hot run that nearly killed me. Very refreshing with only 7% alc making it very drinkable. Icing sugar texture with all those green apple flavours and subtle complexities that a bit of age brings. Still very fresh and vibrant. Lovely

[Craig(NZ)]

Sunday is BYO night at Logan Brown in Wgtn, & for once I didn't have an early morning flight to Akld, so two wines that'll both be on the short list for my 2013 wines of the year:

2005 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay Favourite NZ chard at the top of its game -- pefect balance & weight, & mouthful of flavour. Perfect match for both the paua ravilo & crab cakes.

2006 Bell Hill Pinot Noir First time revisiting this since offline at Craig's 2 years ago, & doesn't seem to have evolved much since then -- still pretty primary, but just such a very good pinot.

Also:

1998 Penfolds Bin 407 I was sceptical about this wine when first drinking it 4 or 5 years ago, when it seemed horribly out of balance, but it's now come together very nicely as a classic 407. No hurry.

Cheers
Peter

Thanks for the notes on the Bell Hill Peter. I will keep my remaining bottle longer! Agree re Neudorf too, though since 2006, Kumeu river has really picked up their game I think with the single vineyard selection they are doing. Have you puit your name on the wish list for the 2010 Kumeu Rivers? Looks like they will be in short supply. (nasty price increase on the Mates though!!)

[Peter NZ]

Thanks for the notes on the Bell Hill Peter. I will keep my remaining bottle longer! Agree re Neudorf too, though since 2006, Kumeu river has really picked up their game I think with the single vineyard selection they are doing. Have you puit your name on the wish list for the 2010 Kumeu Rivers? Looks like they will be in short supply. (nasty price increase on the Mates though!!)

Yep, agree re the quality of the Kumeu River chards, & will be looking to pick up some of the 2010s -- for what it's worth, I see the Hunting Hill & Mates were the two top scoring wines in the November Wine Advocate NZ reviews on 94 points, with the 2011 Neudorf Moutere 'only' scoring 92+ ... Not entirely convinced that the Mates is a better wine (& therefore worth more) than the other single vineyard wines, but will nonetheless buy a couple.

Cheers
Peter

[Craig(NZ)]

for what it's worth, I see the Hunting Hill & Mates were the two top scoring wines in the November Wine Advocate NZ reviews on 94 points,

Here lies the 2nd reason (aside from the frost) that domestic supply will be low and price high?

[Mike Hawkins]

1986 Yalumba The Signature x 2 - after the initial couple of this first case appeared tired, the last 6 have been superb. Really perfumed nose - dark chocolate, cedar and earth. Lovely mouthfeel and length, with both bottles (surprisingly) pretty much the same.

1971 Wynns Black Label Cabernet - this was in sensational form, even better than the one last year. Coffee and a touch of forest floor. Reminded me a bit of an aged Bordeaux left banker. Awesome wine that looks like it has many years of life left.

1990 Yalumba The Octavius - not as good as recent bottles - seemed a tad disintegrated and short. Oak was noticeable, but not overwhelming.

2004 Pierre Gimonnet Paradoxe - last bottle (thankfully) - smelled like strawberries and tasted pretty much the same.

1996 Laurent Perrier Brut - shows the benefits of cellaring champagne from good vintages. Much better than at release. Even those who normally dislike Champagne loved it.

2006 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Shiraz - not a bad quaffer.

1990 Dom Perignon - a superstar. Drinking magnificently right now.

1996 Lanson - not sure this is ageing well. Acid still dominates, and I am going to drink up the rest. I dont believe it will ever come together (based on experience with older vintages). Would have benefited from some malo ....

1990 Yalumba The Reserve - its basically the Signature on steroids. Excellent wine but really needed a 3 hour decant, as the last glass was so much better than the first.

2002 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling - awesome wine from an awesome vintage. Will get better.

2001 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay x 2 - while I'm not normally a lover of chardonnay, this is the real deal. The toasty and nutty notes were a treat. If you have some, I'd drink sooner than later.

1990 Chateau Coutet - like many others from the region in 1990, I think they're ageing prematurely. Drink up....

1990 Penfolds Bin 28 - not the best bottle. In fact 2 of the recent 3 consumed have finished quite short.