Sydney Wendouree Offline.

[burges]

I'm in.
I'll get the '98 Shiraz Mataro

[Hacker]

Updated attendees:

Hacker 1994 Shiraz
Lawrence
Dave vino 2008 Shiraz
sjw 11 2002 Shiraz
Adair
Baby Chickpea 2010 Shiraz Malbec + one comparison red??
Dave Martyn
TravisW maybe
Burges 1998 Shiraz mataro
Polymer
UFO 2002 Shiraz Mataro

[Adair]

Adair - an aged full-bodied white and a early/mid 2000 Cabernet Malbec
Dave Martyn - an early/mid 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

[Hacker]

Updated attendees:

Hacker 1994 Shiraz
Dave vino 2008 Shiraz
sjw 11 2002 Shiraz
sjw 11's friend 1995 Cabernet
Adair early/mid 2000's Cab Malbec
Baby Chickpea 2010 Shiraz Malbec + 2010 Rockford BP....yum!!
Dave Martyn early/mid 2000's Cab Sav
Burges 1998 Shiraz mataro
Polymer 1990 Cab malbec
UFO 2002 Shiraz Mataro

[ufo]

Hi David,

Do you want us to open and/or decant the bottles before coming in ?

Cheers

Arnie

[Hacker]

Can't hurt I recon, I'll be decanting the 1994 shiraz in advance and returning back to the original bottle. Is that double decanting?

[burges]

It is.

[Polymer]

Bringing 90 Cab Malbec..

[sjw_11]

Hey given we had 1 drop out I hope no one minds if I bring a +1 work colleague? I think more the merrier given all the tannins and as it is a Thursday night!

Will bring a 2002 Shiraz and 1995 Cabernet - let me know if I should bring a white or anything as well... Looking forward to it!

[monghead]

Looks like this is shaping up to be a great tasting. Have a good one guys! Looking forward to the notes.

[Hacker]

Lawrence can't make it either. His work is demanding their pound of flesh apparently.

Does anyone know TravisW? I've PM'd him but no reply. Not sure if he is coming. Oh well, we'll see on the night!

[TravisW]

PM sent.

Can't make it alas due to it being on a Thursday night. Canberra is a big round trip!

Enjoy the night guys.

Cheers, Travis.

[Hacker]

I just decanted my 1994 shiraz and took a sip....bloody hell! Tough tannic and taut. Some fruit there though. I hope it softens by tonight.

[ufo]

I just decanted my 1994 shiraz and took a sip....bloody hell! Tough tannic and taut. Some fruit there though. I hope it softens by tonight.

Lets hope so, otherwise we all are going to be tannined out tonight! I'm going to open mine around 4, can't get to it any sooner.

[dave vino]

Set food processor to pulse all the cool kids are doing it

[ufo]

Set food processor to pulse all the cool kids are doing it

R u pulling our leg?

[burges]

I suspect my 98 shiraz mataro is tainted
Will have to bring something else as I don't have any other Wendourees.

[dave vino]

Hyperdecanting is all the rage!!

http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/45859

Just add milk for an extra smooth and creamy texture

[ufo]

It was great night, thanks heaps David and also others who where there.
I think everyone agreed that 1990 Cab/Mlb. was the WON.

[Hacker]

It was great night, thanks heaps David and also others who where there.
I think everyone agreed that 1990 Cab/Mlb. was the WON.

Thanks Arnie, it was good fun! Have to think of another themed night now! I agree the 1990 Cab Malbec was the undisputed WOTN and a real eye opener as per the pecking order of Wendourees to buy. I would, on balance, put this wine ahead of the shiraz most years. I just wish I knew this 20 years ago. My 1994 shiraz did open up into a very nice example, but it didn't have the broad spectrum of interest the Cab/malbec did. The 2004 Cab/Malbec had great potential as well with great mouth filling flavour. The malbec component makes such a difference, and this was (not) demonstrated by the 2005 Cab Sav which was really tough going, not sure if it will ever get into balance. The 1998 Shiraz/Malbec drank well but some VA was detected by a few.

As a contrast we also had a 2010 Rockford BP (thanks Danny) which once again was beautifully on song. Didn't please everyone at the table though. Philistines

Once again there were no corked wines. We have been very lucky in our last four offlines with no tainted wines.

Others can fill in the gaps, as there were many other Wendourees drunk during the night. Wendouree still lives on as an icon Australian winery.

[Adair]

I have been called worse than a Philistine, so no issues.

David, thank you for organising a wonderful evening and for your generosity. As you will probably remember, I was the last one to arrive. However, my excitement jumped as soon as I found the group. Not because my (and your) old friend Baby Chickpea was at the table, but because Cedric Bouchard was sitting there. No evening with Cedric can ever be a disappointment, and this offline definitely was not.

As has happened numerous occasions, I found myself at the end of the night alone with the wines after everyone left. This gave me a chance to take some notes as I no longer had people around me that were forced to listen to me talk... sorry if my exuberance about being let out annoyed anyone.

My quick take on the wines that were left over at the end of the night were:

Cedric Bouchard Inflorescence Brut Blanc de Noirs - 12.5%:
As always, amazing Champagne. In this case so rich and textured, packed with white stonefruits and white flowers. Vanilla. Some nougat. Rounded, then wonderful slatey and flinty mineral structure carries it a long way home. Surely this has dosage? Please anyone confirm or deny.
94-95

1994 Wendouree Shiraz - 13.3%:
Red fruited, red plums, sweet mint, some gum leaf, old dusty furniture, meatiness. Has impressive mid-palate depth and generosity but is tightened up quickly by dusty, grainy tannins that are quite prominent but shaped and pliant, then expand with more chalky texture over the back palate. Fruit carries well but overall a little drying for greatness.
92

2002 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro - 13.3%:
Savoury, VA haze. Ripe red fruits with darker/tarry/raisin/savoury dimensions. Very controlled. Cool/slightly minty/gum leaf layers cover over the defined grainy/chalky powerful tannins that are starting to round and resolve. Long palate. Needs more time if the savoury/VA haze allows.
91

2004 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec - 13.2%:
Ripe Peppermint Pattie marshmallow flavour and even texture that I associate with Greenock Creek Shiraz, then with masses of underlying silty fine-grained tannins carry the wine and provide chewy texture to the excellent depth. The wine has a concentrated core of dark berry fruit with even some fruitcake dimensions but without the alcoholic warmth or glycerol texture that is usually associated with such favours (Greenock Creek and South Australia in general). Juicy yet with masses of dry extract, deep and layered. Still probably medium/full bodied in the Australian context but the power and control that the defined flavoursome tannins provide is quite special as displayed by their great mouth-filling expansive length.
95

2005 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon - 13.2%:
Very savoury with an elegant core of red and black fruit with sweet mint, then the wine gets bony/tannic as the palate continues with grainy/chalky tannins providing great focus and control but this wine does not have the fruit to age. Enjoyable for its quality aspects but the wine is incomplete.
89

2008 Wendouree Shiraz - 14.0%:
Layers of gorgeous ripe plums and raspberries with darker and spiced fruit dimensions nearly making the powerful tannic control unnoticeable through the middle palate. Savoury and VA dimensions in balance but noticeable. Cooler, savoury, mineral layers. Excellent consistent depth. Powerful finish with flavoursome chalky tannins being expansive and chewy.
93

2010 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro - 14.2%:
Sweet vanilla and grilled nuts are in balance with the ripe red/cherry/plum fruit. Excellent depth. A hint of warmth on the back is distracting. Has the depth and power of the best of them but not the focus.
92

2011 Lakes Folly Cabernets (CS 61%, Shiraz 18%, PV 13%, Merlot 8%) - 13%:
If starting with a Cedric Bouchard didn't confirm that I was in the company of educated, classy gentlemen, the arrival of this wine on the table put the issue beyond all doubt. (Thank you dave vino)
Perfumed red and white flowers. Core of beautifully ripened sweet red berries with dimensions of blue and purple fruits. Sweet vanilla is obvious but in balance. A little earth, mineral, fresh tobacco and brioche. Silky and defined structure is integrated into the layers of the fruit... gorgeous texture. Elegant and generous. Long and satisfying. Reminded me of the 2009 Cullen “Diana Madeline”. The latent power of the Wendouree wines caused many at the table to miss the grace of this wine, but I saw Danny transfer some funds into his wine purchasing account on his iPhone when he tasted this!
94-95

Other Wendouree wines that were served during the evening but were consumed, so these notes are from memory:

1990 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec - 13.4%:
Textured, dark, complex. Milk and dark chocolate. Masses of satin/silky tannins. Deep, controlled and long, absolutely fantastic but (although most people's wine of the night)... I was at least one point off for a little too much sweet mint.
94 (only)

2002 Wendouree Shiraz (13.7% I think):
The only wine that its owner (Sam) suspected something was wrong with, and I agreed. I still enjoyed it immensely despite some wet dog characters. Lots of fruit with great control and many dimensions of texture along the palate.
92-93--->

2004 Wendouree Shiraz:
Seriously don’t have any palate memory of this wine. I only know that it was beautiful and deep and at least 93-94. It was served with the 2002 Shiraz and I remember it definitely being Gold Medal wine and better than the 2002.
94--->

1998 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro (13.7% I think):
Another that I don’t have any palate memory. I remember its having some VA but the fruit was good and the VA seemed to be blowing off. Please remind me.

Did I miss any Wendouree wines? My list is (I think this was serving order):
1990 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec
2004 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec
2005 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon
1994 Wendouree Shiraz
2002 Wendouree Shiraz
2004 Wendouree Shiraz
2008 Wendouree Shiraz
1998 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro
2002 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro
2010 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro

Other wines that were served included:

2010 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz (14.5% I think): Yes, yes, yes, a Philistine. Yes, a great BP with masses of depth and fruit but the finish is simply too unfocussed for me due to its alcohol. The wine attempts to maintain classical balance with seriously ripe fruit, but simply can’t do it for my palate (like most of the 14%+ SA crew). Around this time attendees started talking about a Noon offline... shudder

2012 Mike Press Shiraz: After tasting it, I was too embarrassed to serve this blind so I served it "open". I found it very very simple and sweet oak dominant next to the Wendouree wines. Others commented that it was great value for money, which it is and made me happy. Thank you.

2012 Grey Sands The Mattock Merlot Malbec CF - 13.1%: Danny found the 10% CF too dominant. Others commented that it was very peppery, which was very interesting. Nonetheless, it is a cool, silky rich example of what can be done with these varieties in a good Tasmanian vintage. Excellent juicy depth with fresh red and blue berries. Has mineral and savoury nuances. Medium bodied shaped richness. 92-93

Lastly, being a fan, I could not resist bringing a few of these:

2002 Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria - 14.5%: Colour is orange toffee. Although sweet and lightly fortified, it is nearly like a dry wine. Marmalade with sugar powder. Hints of brown sugar. Layer of yellow stonefruits. Excellent consistent controlled drive through the fresh bright palate with spritzy mineral. Finishes clean. Relatively simple but complete, enjoyable and satisfying. 90

2008 Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria - 14.9%: Colour is bright yellow... yes, think urine. White and yellow stonefruits. Aspects of marmalade and honey. Very bright and spritely. Finely flinty textured. The fine spirit assist the acid line... I wonder what spirit they use? Dances across the tongue. Lingering flavour but still clean. 92

Please feel free to provide adverse or positive feedback to any of my comments... just don’t call me anything worse than a Philistine.

Thanks again for making it a wonderful night.

Adair

[Adair]

Just remembered there was a 1998 Rosemount Balmoral in there as well. As expected, not really my cup of tea but others liked it.

[richie32]

Sorry to jump in, how are the Wendouree 2000's drinking?

[Polymer]

Definitely a great evening...great wine..great people..

A eye opener for me..I think compared to most at the offline, I have probably tried the least Wendouree....so getting to try a bunch at different stages in their development really made me appreciate them all that much more....definitely see why some might not like it..but I really enjoyed the style a lot..really fits into what I'm looking for and it has made me put them very high on my list of Australian producers...

A nice mix of other wines as well...Thanks to those that brought extras (Hacker, Dave Vino, Adair, Baby Chickpea and I believe Burges).

I think the worst part from the whole thing is after I felt stupid for not having tried to join their mailing list sooner...Which btw, means if anyone has allocation they don't want, please let me know .

Did we have a 2004 Shiraz there? I don't remember that one at all...but then again I'm the slow one so when we start getting into the mad rush at the end I'm always struggling to keep up.

One thing Sam mentioned and I thought would be a good idea but no idea how to implement...It would be nice to get to try each of the wines in the beginning so we can have a better comparison..and also so the wines we have at the end get to shine in a better light...But I have no idea how we'd pull this off as it would require a lot more glassware and it would end up getting a bit confusing as well...

[damonpeyo]

Got couple of '02 Shiraz, from your tastings, when would you open the '02 again if you had more in cellar?

[Adair]

Got couple of '02 Shiraz, from your tastings, when would you open the '02 again if you had more in cellar?

I would start to think about opening, in the case of a special occassion, but no rush.