TN: December 2019 tasting notes

[sjw_11]

Starting off a thread for the month ... OK some of these are from the last week of November but anyway.

• 2017 Domaine Gilles Barge St. Joseph La Ribaudy - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (12/8/2019)
  100% Marsanne. Only 1,000 bottles made. Mid yellow. Lemon, honeysuckle and citrus oil on the nose. Quite rich on the palate but with good balance. I suspect a few more years wouldn’t hurt. (91 pts.)
• 2017 Gilles Flacher St. Joseph Les Reines - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (12/7/2019)
  Bright purple red. Very obviously Syrah. Sweet purple fruits, red jubes, and fine gritty tannins. Not bad. Better I think in 2-3 years. (90 pts.)
• 2017 Clos des Lunes Lune d'Argent - France, Bordeaux (12/7/2019)
  70% sémillon, 30% sauvignon blanc. Yellow/green in the glass. The sav blanc leads on the nose with gooseberry and asparagus, but with air there is a lemony aspect as well. Crisp and nicely balanced in the mouth. Pleasant easy drinking. (87 pts.)
• 2016 Philippe Bornard Trousseau Arbois Pupillin Le Ginglet - France, Jura, Arbois Pupillin (12/7/2019)
  Hazy pale red. Bruised apple, barnyard, some Pinot like red berry. I know natural wine lovers will say these are complexing factors but this is faulty plain and simple. With (I’m sure) a low sulphur treatment there is no way to know if it’s the bottle or the whole production. (80 pts.)
• 2017 Château de Beauregard (Joseph Burrier) Pouilly-Fuissé - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé (12/6/2019)
  Mid yellow colour. Slightly sharp nose. Nectarine. White peach. Feels a bit warm. The palate offers stone fruit but slightly disjointed acid. A bit disappointing for the price. (86 pts.)
• 2009 Château Filhot - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (12/1/2019)
  Dark yellow to golden color. The nose is still very fresh with classical botrytis character. Sweet but not cloying, with good acid balance. No rush to drink but I am not sure it will improve further. (92 pts.)
• 2014 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/1/2019)
  Dark red. Intense and vibrant nose of dark red berries, plum and violet. Sweet fruit on the palate, with gentle, fuzzy tannins. Stylish and easy to drink now. (92 pts.)
• 2015 L'infernal Priorat El Casot - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (12/1/2019)
  Pale ruby red. Very fresh nose with bright red cherries and a touch of red skin lolly. Lovely expressive and pure Grenache fruit character in the mouth. Quite pretty and floral. Interesting wine. (92 pts.)
• 2009 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (11/30/2019)
  Pale salmon. Cherry and floral notes on the nose. Touch of varnish as well. As always with these guys this ain’t your grandmothers rose. The palate is bright and fresh but a bit simple in the red fruit spectrum. Is it good? For sure. Is it worth €60? Probably not. (90 pts.)
• 2018 Pierre Gaillard St. Péray - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray (11/29/2019)
  Mid yellow. Richer nose than I recall from the 2017. Ripe honeysuckle and a touch of apricot. Broad stone fruit and a touch of phenolic grip in the mouth. Pleasant. (89 pts.)
• 2011 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (11/29/2019)
  Mid red. Brambly red berries. Red currants, touch of cranberry. The green element I’ve noted before remains. The palate is medium bodied, finishing clean. The tannins have now resolved themselves. Easy drinking now, I still don’t think this is going to achieve a much higher score than this. (87 pts.)
• 2015 Château Mancèdre Les Griottes - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (11/28/2019)
  First bottle corked, this is a replacement. 60/40 Cab/Merlot. Mid red. Gentle nose of red berries, a touch of plum. Hint of mulberry, some green leaf. In the mouth this is softly fruited, a bit light without much evident tannin. Easy going claret, I wouldn’t suggest keeping further. Average QPR. (86 pts.)
• 2018 Franck Millet Sancerre Sancerre - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (11/27/2019)
  Pale green/yellow. Slightly anodyne nose. Some cats pee, touch of capsicum. Touch light and watery on the palate. Not much going on here, and frankly poor QPR. (86 pts.)

Posted from [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/]CellarTracker[/url]

[Matt@5453]

2010 Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon St Andrews Clare Valley
Decanted for an hour prior to service. Overall good fruit and soft tannin structure, but I felt had too high of acidity for a wine its age which detracted from its overall enjoyment.

2015 Simonnet-Febvre Petit Chablis Chardonnay
Stone fruits, sea shell, saline, perhaps lacking real fruit drive, nice acidity. Light and easy to drink. Enjoyable

2018 Sula Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Nashik, India
Served blind. I guessed it as a cheaper NZ Sauvignon Blanc, much to my surprise on the reveal...A nice aromatic nose with the palate showing gooseberry, herbaceous tones, a touch grassy. A hint of sweetness, no obvious acidity. Very easy to drink.

2016 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
Decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, and then consumed the balance over 2 days. I rated this very highly. Tobacco/cigar box and spice on the nose. The palate delivers cassis, dark plums, graphite and lingering spice from the oak - the fruit is beautifully ripe. It is a well balanced wine, with the lovely fruit balanced with a nice acidity/ever slight tartness, good use of oak and ripe tannins completing the package. Palate weight is delightful and the finish - long and lingering.

2017 Ashton Hills Pinot Noir Piccadilly Valley Adelaide Hills
Pale and light, sweet red fruits, very easy drinking. I would not hold these, drink now.

2019 Matriarch and Rogue Primitivo Rose, Clare Valley
Nice pale colour, minimal skin contact, 10 months in older oak. Think champagne, a touch of water melon, a hint of spice. Dry finish. Interesting and enjoyable.

[Luke W]

2007 Maglieri Shiraz - must have been one of the years where Steve didn't make a premium and the fruit went into the generic shiraz. Superlative dark McLaren plummy and black currant palate with lovely balance, slight drying tannins and a black fruited, chocolatty nose.

Jansz Premium Rose - too easy to drink, a sparking kicking way above it's price point, just seems to glide down the gullet.

2000 Cape D'Estaing Cabernet Sauvignon - just about run out of these, beautiful, ethereal wines from Kangaroo Is. Drunk about 50 of them and never had a bad one despite the corks. Got to love auctions when you get these for about 3 bucks a pop.

[Michael McNally]

2000 Cape D'Estaing Cabernet Sauvignon - just about run out of these, beautiful, ethereal wines from Kangaroo Is. Drunk about 50 of them and never had a bad one despite the corks. Got to love auctions when you get these for about 3 bucks a pop.

You did better than me Luke and thanks for putting me onto that auction (after you had filled your boots!). I paid $11 for mine. Yes they are a great drop!

Cheers

Michael

[Mahmoud Ali]

Friday night with lovely beef strip sirloin steaks, the Patrick Lesec 1999 Pic Saint Loup "Tonneaux", Couteaux de Languedoc (12.5%), now a 20 year-old wine. I wan't sure what to expect because I didn't know the blend though I had heard good things about Lesec's wines. I gave it a short decant, about 15 minutes with a spell in the fridge. The nose had a floral aspect with notes of oak and garrigue, and this continued to grow with time. Very beguiling. The palate was nicely poised, black cherry, leather, oak, spice and a mild tannic/astringent finish. The palate seemed to sweeten with time but remained savoury and elegant. All in all a lovely wine and yet another successful wine from the 1999 vintage.

LESECPicSaintLoup1999.jpeg

I had seen someone post a reference to a 2001 Jancis Robinson recommendation of Lesec's wines where she wrote: "Of a geographical spread of Patrick Lesec Languedoc reds tasted recently the most impressive was St Chinian 'Tonneaux' 1999 Domaine T Navarre (about $17/£10.80) which is already beguiling but is also clearly a cellar candidate and should be drinking beautifully in a couple of years. Other goodies include a Pic St Loup 'Tonneaux' 1999 (about $12/£7.30) and a Faugères 'Tonneaux' 1999 Domaine du Météore ($13/£8)"

Cheers ............................. Mahmoud.

[Alex F]

Tyrrell's Futures Selection Semillon 1995:

I once had a great Vat 1 from 1995 and somehow I was convinced that these Futures Selection wines were the same as the Vat 1. The label suggests otherwise: "The 1995 Vintage showed the effects of the five years of drought with all the whites being slightly higher in alcohol than previous years, whilst still remaining quite high acid. This wine was made entirely from the old vines on George and Neil Steven's ""Glenoak"" vineyard. This wine is now starting to develop golden colour and a floral, toasty, nose. The palate is really starting to fill out with soft, creamy, fruit and a clean, fresh, acid finish. This wine will be tremendous drinking now but like all great Hunter Semillons, will take some more bottle aging."

My notes: Golden colour. Cork half soaked but evidently has kept this wine well. Toast, honey wax on nose, these flavours continue onto the palate. The wine, if slightly one dimensional, is fairly thick in the mouth, flavours of medium intensity. There is also a fair amount of grip that seems phenolic in nature, remniscient of powdered ginger, before finishing hot (11.7% alcohol) with prickling, marmalade like acidity. On its way out but holding on to whatever past glories it might have had. 4 stars.

Wroxton Eden Valley Riesling 2006:
12.5% alcohol. Never heard of this wine before but some research suggests that the vineyard (used to?) supply grapes to Steingarten. This has a petrolly nose. In the mouth it was fat, overtly hot (alcoholic), but also had lots of drying limey acidity and chalkiness. A very savoury wine which seemed unbalanced to me. The taste + the golden colour seems to suggest that this wine is at the end of its life. 3.5 stars.

Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 1998:

This vintage and seemingly other late 90s versions of the black label are not rated highly by some forum members. I disagree somewhat, I think it is a good wine as long as you are not expecting a blockbuster. Anyway, still a very dark colour for its age, ruby/blood red with good density. Meaty nose, quite complex. Completely integrated and harmonious in the mouth, finishing with a good lick of blackcurranty acidity. Medium weight, but lengthy. Don't think this very good wine is going to get any better but should keep for a while. 4 stars.

[Redav]

2015 Simonnet-Febvre Petit Chablis Chardonnay
Stone fruits, sea shell, saline, perhaps lacking real fruit drive, nice acidity. Light and easy to drink. Enjoyable

Interesting. Any chance you've had the next one up? We've had those two and the Premier Cru and reckon the middle ground Chablis is the pick of the three. I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts

[mychurch]

In the office foyer they had a whole lot of people selling Xmas ware. Lots of alcohol, chocolate and 1 wine house: Armstead. New name for me, and not really up to a lot. Based in Heathcote, the reds were overoaked and lacking in finess and acidity. The winery was taken over by new owners a few years ago and the reds were all old stock. That probably explains why the whites and rose were much better. The Rose was made in the richer style that I like, with a heavy colour and plenty of strawberry. The Chardie was well made, with a touch of barrel notes on the nose and popcorn style fruit. Not bad. The best wine though, by a long way, was the 18 Lakeside Marsanne. Creamy and oily, with enough acidity to keep it fresh. Fruit in the melon spectrum. Just a lovely, easy drinking Rhône varietal wine. Not worth aging, but it’s one I would buy - took a bottle home and it went well with the home made Green Curry yesterday.

[mjs]

2016 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
Decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, and then consumed the balance over 2 days. I rated this very highly. Tobacco/cigar box and spice on the nose. The palate delivers cassis, dark plums, graphite and lingering spice from the oak - the fruit is beautifully ripe. It is a well balanced wine, with the lovely fruit balanced with a nice acidity/ever slight tartness, good use of oak and ripe tannins completing the package. Palate weight is delightful and the finish - long and lingering.

Matt,

I have even more positive view on this particular wine, I reckon it's a cracker, one of the best that Bruce Gregory has conjured in the last ten years. Great fruit, structure, good oak, balance even now, will be a keeper and a beauty for many years.

cheers, Malcolm

[Matt@5453]

2016 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
Decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, and then consumed the balance over 2 days. I rated this very highly. Tobacco/cigar box and spice on the nose. The palate delivers cassis, dark plums, graphite and lingering spice from the oak - the fruit is beautifully ripe. It is a well balanced wine, with the lovely fruit balanced with a nice acidity/ever slight tartness, good use of oak and ripe tannins completing the package. Palate weight is delightful and the finish - long and lingering.

Matt,

I have even more positive view on this particular wine, I reckon it's a cracker, one of the best that Bruce Gregory has conjured in the last ten years. Great fruit, structure, good oak, balance even now, will be a keeper and a beauty for many years.

cheers, Malcolm

Totally agree. I don't have much experience with Majella Wines, I stopped in there and bought up on the 2012s a few years ago now (that's the only vintage I had tasted). I think it was Craig's or your review recently which pricked my interest in the 2016. Indeed, its a lovely wine. I need a few more to put away.

[Matt@5453]

2015 Simonnet-Febvre Petit Chablis Chardonnay
Stone fruits, sea shell, saline, perhaps lacking real fruit drive, nice acidity. Light and easy to drink. Enjoyable

Interesting. Any chance you've had the next one up? We've had those two and the Premier Cru and reckon the middle ground Chablis is the pick of the three. I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts

Unfortunately I haven't. My local was literally 'dumping' this wine. I picked up 8 bottles for $9 each. Has been a good mid week drinking wine.

[Matt@5453]

Weather is heating up in SA, so a few whites on the cards (impressions more than tasting notes):

2015 Taylors Wines St Andrews Riesling, Clare Valley

Youthful colour. Lemons, slate, a touch of florals with a very good acid 'zing'. Nice.

2018 Sidewood Estate Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Very light and delicate, grapefruit, honeydew melon, light touch of oak. Soft and very approachable, definitely a drink now wine.

2017 Vanguardist Wines Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

The word 'textural' comes to mind with this, a very fruit driven wine with stone fruit, citrus, spice, minerals with serious length, noting its unfined and filtered, hence a hint of 'cloudiness'. Its Delicious. Speaking with the winemaker Michael about it, interesting winemaking approach: picked at 11.5 baume, foot stomped, wild yeast fermentation, time on lees in old oak (7 year old oak), then racked progressively, unfined, unfiltered and into bottle.

[phillisc]

2016 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra
Decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, and then consumed the balance over 2 days. I rated this very highly. Tobacco/cigar box and spice on the nose. The palate delivers cassis, dark plums, graphite and lingering spice from the oak - the fruit is beautifully ripe. It is a well balanced wine, with the lovely fruit balanced with a nice acidity/ever slight tartness, good use of oak and ripe tannins completing the package. Palate weight is delightful and the finish - long and lingering.

Matt,

I have even more positive view on this particular wine, I reckon it's a cracker, one of the best that Bruce Gregory has conjured in the last ten years. Great fruit, structure, good oak, balance even now, will be a keeper and a beauty for many years.

cheers, Malcolm

Totally agree. I don't have much experience with Majella Wines, I stopped in there and bought up on the 2012s a few years ago now (that's the only vintage I had tasted). I think it was Craig's or your review recently which pricked my interest in the 2016. Indeed, its a lovely wine. I need a few more to put away.

Matt in the Majella vertical that MJS and I had a look at in October the 10, 12 and 16 were the standouts. I managed to get a dozen of the 16 through one for the large chains for $25...bargain really. Will look at one and report. Hope you survive the weather in CV...gardens in Adelaide look dead already.
Cheers Craig

[Luke W]

2002 Hanging Rock Shiraz, gorgeous old boy, definitely masculine, still with cajones and lots of mojo, deep dark brooding fruits, perfumed nose, beautifully balanced and a flavour that lingers long after the wine has been imbibed.

[Rossco]

Xmas Special Dinner with some very generous people. All wines served blind:

Wine # 1 - 2004 Krug Clos Du Mesnil
Immediate hit of lemon, lemon sherbet and oak on the nose.  Continues intothe palate, with just stunning lemon sherbet and big hits of chalk and talc. Ultra high quality champagne here. That length.... goes on and on and on.Has a mouthwatering line of acidity that seems either 100% Chardonnay or very large majority chardonnay. Dont get the strawberries & cream of pinot, so im in Blanc de blancs territory here, but there is noticeable and complementary oak. High quality oak, and i pondered if it was fermented in old oak, not just matured.
White florals, and a dryness from the acidity that begs you to have more. Slightly older colour yellow gold-ish, indicates it may have some age (or reserve material). Slatey minerals, so clean and fresh....this will age for a long time yet. Again that purity of lemon, sherbet, chalk and some crunchy green apples... length, did I mention length?There was an audible 'WOW' across the whole table and then stunned, hushed silence when it was revealed. We were in the presence of greatness. Sparking of the year

Wine # 2- 2013 Domaine Faiveley Corton - Charlemagne Grand Cru
Again colour on this was a bright yellow goldish, that indicated some age. Colour was more advanced than I thought it would be, but I needn't have worried, this was a stunning white burg. Nose of White and Yellow peaches, white nectarines and oak. The oak is perfectly judged AND beautifully integrated into the wine. Powerful but its a deft power, it sneaks up on you. At the start its 'yeah, ok i kind of get it'... then it builds and builds and builds until you are going 'well fvk me this is a top wine'. Incredible depth and intensity in this wine. Fennel and Alpine herbs with a touch of pine needle. Again a spine of lemon acidity that races through the wine and adds to the complexity. Slight creaminess with some cinnamon and white flower blossom. Yes this is what white burg is all about. My style of wine here!

Wine # 3 - 2012 Domaine Tollot - Beaut Corton - Charlemagne Grand Cru
Initial nose of banana that blew off. Still some very slight green tropical fruits after some air. Was very subtle, linear and even soft. Was this the style of wine?
Short length, and I wondered if this had some TCA. Fruit seemed to be lacking and stripped, didnt have the power of the Faiveley (was it meant too?). Acid was still there and really not much else. Wine in a dumb phase?

Wine # 4 - 2011 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
That nose! Could just smell that all day. Smoky Charred oak.... Smoked Black Tea Leaf mainly. Red Cherry fruited style... quite fruit forward despite the oak, Alcohol & Acid still quite prominent and this needs more time to integrate. Wonderful life ahead. Very pretty Tannin structure, Violets and purple flowers, Feels younger.... like a 2010+ Spicy and perfectly ripe fruit. The aroma's coming out of the glass were stupendous!

Wine # 5 - 2008 Domaine d'Eugenie Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Looks and smells older. Wet Earth and Forest Floor immediately, mushrooms and black tea. Has a very slightly Oxidative character, not in a bad way, more complexity. Raspberry, Cranberry, Dried Rose Petals. Herbs and older leather. I think this is a bit more advanced than its meant to be.

Wine # 6 - 1982 Chateau Canon St Emilion Grand Cru
Cola Brown in Colour, but still clear in the glass. Cola in the glass too. Tar, Cloves and baking spice. Leather and Shoe Polish. Probably past its prime, or average storage. Earthy wine though, and secondary/tertiary characters. Fruit had all but gone however was still a good wine.

Wine # 7 - 2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Wow, very 'exotic' spiced wine here. Chinese 5 spice, cinnamon and cloves. Raspberry Redskins lolly type fruit spectrum, but not the sweetness of redskins. Florals too, so young and so full of life, vibrant yet pretty and feminine all at the same time. Feels very young, 2010 or so........ lol no. Very surprised to see it was an 03 when revealed! What a great bottle.
Some good structure in here, Iron mineral backbone... again that nose is simply stunning.

Wine # 8 - 2000 Clos Du Marquis Saint Julien
Quite interesting here, has lots of Medicinal Cherry cough syrup on the nose. Iodine and actually some quite raw oak on the palate. Has a ripeness of fruit but without being porty. Wonder if this was a warm year? Large furry tannin still (dominating?), lots of graphite as well...Mocha and blackberries. Roasted meats and tobacco at the end. I was actually very confused by this wine. I couldn't tell if its at its peak, past it or still had years left. Fruit still seemed to be dominated by the oak and tannin but acidity has all gone, wonderful wine nonetheless.

Wine # 9 - 2001 Chateau Leoville Las Cases St Julien
Very bright red fruit... ribena type fruit as well. Liquorice but still quite tannic (black tea tannin) Again quite an earthy wine that still seemed quite young. Slatey type minerals here and more acid than the Marquis. Oak was on the pencil shaving spectrum but not dominant. Didnt get as much graphite in this one as the last, not sure which area of Bdx it is, but definately from there somewhere. Powerful wine, but again cant decide whether to hold or drink.

Wine # 10 - 1997 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon
There is a large metalic 'steeliness' about this wine... an iron minerality as well.  Clean, powerful wine. Dark chocolate, with cured meats. Quite herbal as well, gee im having trouble picking this one. Seems French... bdx? Not sure. Still cant get over the power of this wine. Its not alcohol or anything, just perfectly integrated.... seamless. Length is fantastic.  Again those wet stone/slate pebbles at the end.

Wine # 11 - 1933 Seppeltsfield Para Liqueur
Olive rim, has a 'new world' spirit type note that is slightly hot from the alcohol. Vanilla, Walnuts and oh that acidity bring everything into balance. Such a wonderful wine here, doesnt feel like a tawny, doesnt have that creamy burnt butterscotch richness that I have had before. This seems more refined and elegant. Does have that rancio of a tawny though....  Sultana's, and again those nutty flavours.. macadamia as well. When this was revealed, came as a complete shock. I have had the 1939 before and this was completely different! Those that say there is no vintage variation in old tawny's better take a look here. You couldnt get two more differing vintages of the same wine. Both absolutely stunning and very different!

[Willard]

Awesome Rossco, appreciate the notes so I can drink vicariously! Few on there I fear I will never try.

Cheers
Will

[sjw_11]

Final set of tasting notes for December (pre NYE at least!)

• 2015 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (12/29/2019)
  No proper notes but lovely rioja. Ripe red berries, oak and earth all on the nose. Balanced palate. Good aging potential. (90 pts.)
• 2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz Oracle - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/27/2019)
  Quintessential Aussie wine. Lovey Clare valley fruit. No formal notes, drunk Xmas day. Terrific. (95 pts.)
• 2012 Bodegas La Horra Ribera del Duero Corimbo I - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (12/27/2019)
  No formal notes, drunk over Xmas but I really enjoyed this. Lovely fresh dark fruits and great balance. (94 pts.)
• 2013 Bollinger Aÿ Rouge La Côte aux Enfants - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois (12/27/2019)
  Mid red. Dense red berries. Quite ripe in a way. Touch of mushroom and undergrowth. Bright red cherries as well. I’m not and will probably remain not a Pinot obsessive but to me this is pretty good. Unique wine to be sure and I’d love to throw this in a blind. (94 pts.)
• 2014 Passopisciaro Sicilia Contrada Guardiola - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (12/27/2019)
  Fine boned red fruits. Really gathers weight with air. The first night it’s a bit high toned with quite zippy acid. On night two there is more sweet dark fruit. Quite grippy tannins as well to close. Definitely will be better in a couple of years. Really top quality juice. (94 pts.)
• 2017 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis 1er Cru Montmains - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (12/27/2019)
  Lovely fresh and clean Chablis. (91 pts.)
• NV Setley Ridge Dry White - United Kingdom, England, Hampshire (12/27/2019)
  My overwhelming note is “tart”. For £12 this has a long way to go to be even vaguely competitive. We tried as we were staying locally but frankly that’s how it is. (82 pts.)
• 2009 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Reserva 198 Barricas - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (12/26/2019)
  Deep red. Ripe red berries, vanilla and juicy plum on the nose. Still very youthful with lots of fleshy red fruit in the mouth. Quite a full or modern expression of Rioja but still really well balanced. Lots of life ahead for this. (94 pts.)
• 2010 Tenuta Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (12/22/2019)
  Cab sav, merlot and cab franc. 18 months in French oak. Blood red. Quite austere nose. Very structured. Red berries, oak driven complexity. Almost juicy red fruit to open in the mouth and then a typical Bolgheri wall of tannin. Still youthful but I’m not sure if this will unwind or always remain a tad unyielding. (92 pts.)
• 2008 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (12/22/2019)
  Dark magenta. Youthful colour. Ripe cassis and black currant. Unmistakebly new world and Australian. Still quite primary. Just a touch of green undergrowth. Sweet but not unbalanced blackberry fruit on the palate. Finishes with a bit of gritty tannin. I would suggest this may be a slightly warmer, earlier drinking example of this label. (91 pts.)
• 2017 Dominique Laurent Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (12/16/2019)
  Deep red. Fresh, dark red berries on the nose. Dark cherry, a touch of vanilla. Very fruit driven. Fleshy red fruit in the mouth. Cherries and blood plums. Nice balance in a fruit forward style. (92 pts.)
• 2017 Grosset Riesling Springvale Clare Valley - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/16/2019)
  Pale yellow/green. Sharp citrus driven nose- plenty of limey notes. Touch of grapefruit as well. Very fresh and clean of course. Really zippy in the mouth. Lemon/lime sherbet and bracing acidity. Tasty now but I suspect this could look better in 3+ years, although I’m not sure it has the drive to make very old bones. (92 pts.)
• 2017 De Grendel Shiraz - South Africa, Coastal Region, Tygerberg, Durbanville (12/13/2019)
  No proper notes. Nice lifted sweet fruit, plum. Pleasing purity. Fell apart completely by day three so I wouldn’t feel too comfortable keeping it for the longer term. (89 pts.)
• 2016 DeMorgenzon Maestro - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (12/13/2019)
  Blend of 39pc cabernet, 38pc merlot, 13pc cab franc, and 10pc Malbec. Ripe red berries. Touch of plum, some chocolate. Sweet fruited but not over worked. Not particularly varietal. Closes with surprising tannic grip. Maybe just a touch over ripe. (88 pts.)
• 2019 Waterford Estate Sauvignon Blanc - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (12/11/2019)
  Typically a benchmark SA sav blanc to my mind, the latest vintage looks pretty good (if you ever like Sav Blanc!). Sharp gooseberry on the nose. Strongly flavored and really zippy in the mouth. Suits the warm but pleasant Cape Town weather perfectly. (90 pts.)
• 2012 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/9/2019)
  Deep red. Even after several days open this smells quite “glossy” on the nose, especially for Barbaresco. Dark berry, vanilla, even a touch of cola. Very fresh. Juicy berries on the palate followed by firm but not over the top tannins. Excellent drinking now although it will definitely live for many years more. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/9/2019)
  Mid red. Appealing nose of red berries, cinnamon and vanilla. Balanced medium bodied palate- quite fresh and juicy. Gentle tannins. Drinking well now. May well improve but I feel maybe for earlier consumption. (91 pts.)

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[Matt@5453]

It's been frigg'n hot in SA, so more beer than wines over the festive period. Some impressions of wine consumed:

2018 Chapel Hill Chardonnay, McLaren Vale

Plenty of oak overshadowing the fruit. Not overly interesting

2019 Koppamurra Grenache, McLaren Vale

No oak, the fruit speaks here, very good drinking.

2019 Rusden Wines “Chasing Daisies” White Blend, Barossa

A blend of Viognier/Semillon/Chenin Blanc/ Sauvignon Blanc, really enjoyable. Grapefruit, Honeydew melon and a touch of lemon citrus. A touch of oak adds interest and texture.

2018 Rusden Wines “Driftsand” Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro, Barossa

A very good example of this blend, excellent fruit weight and balance, long finish. Lovely level of spice.

2012 Somerled Shiraz McLaren Vale

Plums, dark cherries, chocolate, touch of blackberry, hint of raspberry 'tartness', lovely integrated spice from the 26 months in French Oak. The wine is maturing now, with lovely soft texture and mouthfeel with the tannins now softening, leaving a hint of drying on the finish. A long and lingering finish. Definitely give this ~2 hours in the decanter to really show its stuff. Personally, I would not hold much longer on this. In a good place now.