Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
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via collins
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:16 pm
Re: Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
Top night out, hats off to all.
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Waiters Friend
- Posts: 2746
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 4:09 am
- Location: Perth WA
Re: Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
G’day
Eight of us descended upon Moreton’s Brasserie (166 Rathdowne Rd Carlton) for the Melbourne offline. It was a little over a year ago that I last made the pilgrimage to this delightful French bistro, and it felt like home as I walked through the door. There were eight of us last year as well, and we occupied the same table (admittedly, the only table for 8 in the place).
We were in good company, too. The former MP and well known brain, Barry Jones, was a couple of tables away, and his wife chatted with us for a minute (“So is this a wine group?†“Yes†“Do you meet often?†Not often enough, apparently). The menu is substantially the same as last year also. Moreton’s does what it does very well, without pretension, and with very friendly and capable service.
By the way, tasting notes below are a compilation of the comments made by the group, and do not necessarily reflect my opinions entirely. Disclaimer over.
So, while we arrived and ordered, it was onto the first wine:
Capel Vale Whispering Hill Riesling 2008 (Great Southern, WA): Although based in the Geographe region, Capel Vale has been making wines from the Great Southern (and other regions) since 1974. The riesling and shiraz from the Whispering Hill vineyard in Mt Barker are their flagship wines from the Great Southern, and I have been a fan of the Riesling for over 20 years.
The colour is light for a 6 year old – pale lemon. The nose opened up with a slight whiff of kero, followed by lime, orange blossom and other florals, and one taster detected wet straw. The palate sees more citrus – lemon, lime, a hint of orange peel. One taster commented on some slight residual sugar, and it was noted that the acidity was lower than some Clare and Eden Valley Rieslings. For me, these wines have always been about the purity of fruit they present, and this was no exception.
This ended up being the White of the Night – after we realised all the remaining table wines were reds
ïÂÅ
Orders were taken by now, and a change of glassware saw us move into red territory, starting with a Best’s Pinot Meuniere 1991 (Great Western, Victoria). It was slightly cloudy in the glass (not overly) and moderately pale garnet in colour (not surprisingly given its age). The nose shows raspberry, leather, light red fruits and one taster noted a touch of honey. The overwhelming response to the palate was “Fresh†– most tasters commented on how the acid had retained freshness in the wine. Having said that, the acid was not overpowering or especially high, just relative to the remaining fruit. At 23 years of age, it could almost be called light bodied, with a slightly grippy and moderate tannin structure. A fascinating wine indeed, and I am grateful to the person who brought it.
This was followed by another wine I was not expecting to see; the Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2012 (Clare Valley SA). From previous tastings and many comments on this forum, I thought they were wines to lock away for 20 years, but apparently 2011 and 2012 have produced wines that are approachable now. This was.
It’s a dark almost opaque purple in colour. The overwhelming first impression on the nose was bubblegum. This is backed up by an incredible concentration of fruit sweetness, some menthol, and milk chocolate. Despite the apparent approachability, it’s definitely a full bodied red, with tannins seemingly derived from fruit / skins rather than cedary or vanillan oak. The wine retains high acid, and the concentration of fruit flows over the palate and down a long finish. I’ve not had young Wendourees before, only older ones, so I am not going to comment on age worthiness vs approachability.
By this time, we had decided to go from younger to older wines, so the next cab (pun intended) off the rank was the Xanadu Stevens Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Margaret River, WA). This has received some hype recently, and it was interesting to taste for that reason alone. It’s a deep purple in colour, and is all Margaret River: lots of blackcurrant fruit and cedary oak, but really well integrated. Other tasters got hints of slate and lead pencil, and the wine has god acidity. The palate is well defined and structured, and this should last many years.
The next cab (OK, I’ll stop soon) off the rank was another Margaret River cabernet: the 2008 Cape Naturaliste Torpedo Rocks Cabernet Sauvignon. I had not tried any of their wines before, and it was new to the majority of the group, too. We were pleasantly surprised by the wine: milk chocolate, red berries and blackcurrant, and also mocha on the palate. The palate itself has a silky / velvety mouth feel and the wine was quite mouth-filling. Possibly showing the benefit of 3 years more age than the Xanadu, most tasters considered it to be a better wine on the night. Another 3 years may show a different result, of course ……..
Then a ‘left-field’ wine. From the Riverina, Chambers Aglianico 2005 surprised many of us. Some dirt and forest floor, dark cherry, red fruits, molasses, supported by high acid and firm tannins, made this an interesting mouthful indeed! Medium bodied, very different!
Back to more familiar territory, with the Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2001 (Margaret River, WA). Again, a typical Voyager wine: cedar / cigar box, and a little early tomato leaf, plummy fruit compote, and some blackcurrant. The palate is complex, and the wine medium- to full-bodied, with chalky tannins and good supporting acid. All the elements of a top MR red were there.
We then returned to South Australia, and McLaren Vale specifically, for the Rosemount Balmoral Syrah 1996. A big wine in many respects, the nose started with liquorice, cough syrup, and menthol. The palate shows chocolate, plum jam with oak playing a supporting role. It’s slightly jammy and the fruit still dominates the 14% alcohol and whatever (presumably substantial) oak was thrown at it in 1996. A good bottle.
Then for a pair of 20 year old Victorians ……..
Bannockburn Shiraz 1994 (Geelong, Victoria). A recent museum release, apparently. The nose started with burnt rubber, but also contained spice, marmalade, leather, and also perhaps a bit of brett / barnyard. One taster referred to ‘thrush’ but I remain unconvinced this is a commonly recognised wine descriptor
The palate showed chocolate, brambles along with more forest, duty tannins, and another taster described the wine as ‘sweaty’ (after ‘thrush’, I am commenting no further ïÂÅ ) – in fact, the wine was like an aged Rhone – lots of different taste ‘sparks’ – and fascinating to look at.
The second Victorian 20 year old was another Best’s – the Best's Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 (Great Western, Victoria). It still retains some depth of colour (although fading), and the nose was all stewed prunes, with a faint hint of blackcurrant beneath. There is some forest floor, and the tannins have softened considerably and largely disappeared. Although I believe this is past its best, it was interesting to look at nonetheless.
We finished up with something that is a speciality in both WA and Victoria – a liqueur muscat. This was from the Faber Vineyard in WA’s Swan Valley, and was full, rich, raisiny with high glycerols and a delightful mouth feel. A really good example of what the Swan Valley can do.
Wine of the night was the Voyager Estate, but there were many worthy and interesting wines over the night. Variety is a wonderful thing, and possibly part of the reason we get into wine.
Many thanks to Moreton’s for another top meal, and friendly service. Special thanks to viacollins for making the arrangements (again), Ozzie W for the photos already posted - and to all who turned up – it was marvellous to meet more people who share the passion. I just reckon there should be more off lines in Melbourne.
Cheers
Allan
Eight of us descended upon Moreton’s Brasserie (166 Rathdowne Rd Carlton) for the Melbourne offline. It was a little over a year ago that I last made the pilgrimage to this delightful French bistro, and it felt like home as I walked through the door. There were eight of us last year as well, and we occupied the same table (admittedly, the only table for 8 in the place).
We were in good company, too. The former MP and well known brain, Barry Jones, was a couple of tables away, and his wife chatted with us for a minute (“So is this a wine group?†“Yes†“Do you meet often?†Not often enough, apparently). The menu is substantially the same as last year also. Moreton’s does what it does very well, without pretension, and with very friendly and capable service.
By the way, tasting notes below are a compilation of the comments made by the group, and do not necessarily reflect my opinions entirely. Disclaimer over.
So, while we arrived and ordered, it was onto the first wine:
Capel Vale Whispering Hill Riesling 2008 (Great Southern, WA): Although based in the Geographe region, Capel Vale has been making wines from the Great Southern (and other regions) since 1974. The riesling and shiraz from the Whispering Hill vineyard in Mt Barker are their flagship wines from the Great Southern, and I have been a fan of the Riesling for over 20 years.
The colour is light for a 6 year old – pale lemon. The nose opened up with a slight whiff of kero, followed by lime, orange blossom and other florals, and one taster detected wet straw. The palate sees more citrus – lemon, lime, a hint of orange peel. One taster commented on some slight residual sugar, and it was noted that the acidity was lower than some Clare and Eden Valley Rieslings. For me, these wines have always been about the purity of fruit they present, and this was no exception.
This ended up being the White of the Night – after we realised all the remaining table wines were reds
ïÂÅ
Orders were taken by now, and a change of glassware saw us move into red territory, starting with a Best’s Pinot Meuniere 1991 (Great Western, Victoria). It was slightly cloudy in the glass (not overly) and moderately pale garnet in colour (not surprisingly given its age). The nose shows raspberry, leather, light red fruits and one taster noted a touch of honey. The overwhelming response to the palate was “Fresh†– most tasters commented on how the acid had retained freshness in the wine. Having said that, the acid was not overpowering or especially high, just relative to the remaining fruit. At 23 years of age, it could almost be called light bodied, with a slightly grippy and moderate tannin structure. A fascinating wine indeed, and I am grateful to the person who brought it.
This was followed by another wine I was not expecting to see; the Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2012 (Clare Valley SA). From previous tastings and many comments on this forum, I thought they were wines to lock away for 20 years, but apparently 2011 and 2012 have produced wines that are approachable now. This was.
It’s a dark almost opaque purple in colour. The overwhelming first impression on the nose was bubblegum. This is backed up by an incredible concentration of fruit sweetness, some menthol, and milk chocolate. Despite the apparent approachability, it’s definitely a full bodied red, with tannins seemingly derived from fruit / skins rather than cedary or vanillan oak. The wine retains high acid, and the concentration of fruit flows over the palate and down a long finish. I’ve not had young Wendourees before, only older ones, so I am not going to comment on age worthiness vs approachability.
By this time, we had decided to go from younger to older wines, so the next cab (pun intended) off the rank was the Xanadu Stevens Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Margaret River, WA). This has received some hype recently, and it was interesting to taste for that reason alone. It’s a deep purple in colour, and is all Margaret River: lots of blackcurrant fruit and cedary oak, but really well integrated. Other tasters got hints of slate and lead pencil, and the wine has god acidity. The palate is well defined and structured, and this should last many years.
The next cab (OK, I’ll stop soon) off the rank was another Margaret River cabernet: the 2008 Cape Naturaliste Torpedo Rocks Cabernet Sauvignon. I had not tried any of their wines before, and it was new to the majority of the group, too. We were pleasantly surprised by the wine: milk chocolate, red berries and blackcurrant, and also mocha on the palate. The palate itself has a silky / velvety mouth feel and the wine was quite mouth-filling. Possibly showing the benefit of 3 years more age than the Xanadu, most tasters considered it to be a better wine on the night. Another 3 years may show a different result, of course ……..
Then a ‘left-field’ wine. From the Riverina, Chambers Aglianico 2005 surprised many of us. Some dirt and forest floor, dark cherry, red fruits, molasses, supported by high acid and firm tannins, made this an interesting mouthful indeed! Medium bodied, very different!
Back to more familiar territory, with the Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2001 (Margaret River, WA). Again, a typical Voyager wine: cedar / cigar box, and a little early tomato leaf, plummy fruit compote, and some blackcurrant. The palate is complex, and the wine medium- to full-bodied, with chalky tannins and good supporting acid. All the elements of a top MR red were there.
We then returned to South Australia, and McLaren Vale specifically, for the Rosemount Balmoral Syrah 1996. A big wine in many respects, the nose started with liquorice, cough syrup, and menthol. The palate shows chocolate, plum jam with oak playing a supporting role. It’s slightly jammy and the fruit still dominates the 14% alcohol and whatever (presumably substantial) oak was thrown at it in 1996. A good bottle.
Then for a pair of 20 year old Victorians ……..
Bannockburn Shiraz 1994 (Geelong, Victoria). A recent museum release, apparently. The nose started with burnt rubber, but also contained spice, marmalade, leather, and also perhaps a bit of brett / barnyard. One taster referred to ‘thrush’ but I remain unconvinced this is a commonly recognised wine descriptor
The palate showed chocolate, brambles along with more forest, duty tannins, and another taster described the wine as ‘sweaty’ (after ‘thrush’, I am commenting no further ïÂÅ ) – in fact, the wine was like an aged Rhone – lots of different taste ‘sparks’ – and fascinating to look at.
The second Victorian 20 year old was another Best’s – the Best's Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 (Great Western, Victoria). It still retains some depth of colour (although fading), and the nose was all stewed prunes, with a faint hint of blackcurrant beneath. There is some forest floor, and the tannins have softened considerably and largely disappeared. Although I believe this is past its best, it was interesting to look at nonetheless.
We finished up with something that is a speciality in both WA and Victoria – a liqueur muscat. This was from the Faber Vineyard in WA’s Swan Valley, and was full, rich, raisiny with high glycerols and a delightful mouth feel. A really good example of what the Swan Valley can do.
Wine of the night was the Voyager Estate, but there were many worthy and interesting wines over the night. Variety is a wonderful thing, and possibly part of the reason we get into wine.
Many thanks to Moreton’s for another top meal, and friendly service. Special thanks to viacollins for making the arrangements (again), Ozzie W for the photos already posted - and to all who turned up – it was marvellous to meet more people who share the passion. I just reckon there should be more off lines in Melbourne.
Cheers
Allan
Wine, women and song. Ideally, you can experience all three at once.
Re: Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
Great tasting notes reflecting the wonderful night that it was! Great to meet you all and look forward to another in the not too distant future.
-
via collins
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:16 pm
Re: Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
Wow Allan.
You've a story-telling career waiting for you if you ever need a back-up. Well written sir!
I recall that the person who introduced thrush to the table as a tasting descriptor did clearly promise they would take ownership of the word after the notes went up. Wonder if they still will? I honestly don't recall who it was, but the word came up as a riff after "yeasty" was suggested. I guess it's s step beyond yeasty
.
Have a great trip to Italy, and I have remembered my very favourite wine bar - Ai Tre Scalini - magnificent in every way, and well worth a visit in the evening. Gorgeous place, superb neighbourhood feel, and wine and food that won't let you down. Not quite in Colosseo hood, but not too far from there.
Cheers,
You've a story-telling career waiting for you if you ever need a back-up. Well written sir!
I recall that the person who introduced thrush to the table as a tasting descriptor did clearly promise they would take ownership of the word after the notes went up. Wonder if they still will? I honestly don't recall who it was, but the word came up as a riff after "yeasty" was suggested. I guess it's s step beyond yeasty
.Have a great trip to Italy, and I have remembered my very favourite wine bar - Ai Tre Scalini - magnificent in every way, and well worth a visit in the evening. Gorgeous place, superb neighbourhood feel, and wine and food that won't let you down. Not quite in Colosseo hood, but not too far from there.
Cheers,
Re: Melbourne offline Thursday September 11 2014
Said I'd own it and I will....like a proud father!