Hi Good Peoples,
My wine of the week was last night with Marion, a bottle of Jasper Hill 1999 Georgia - The nose is ripe with a touch of VA, prominent vanilla and mushroom together with coffee/mocha and brooding black fruit. A rock solid, full-bodied wine with abundant powdery tannins that still need years to integrate, the powerful fruit is pure and deeply seated and should be up to the task in the long term. Coffee, chocolate, mushroom, blackberry, aniseed, with a most unusual, almost burnt taste and a touch of mint leaves the palate chewy and dry. Rated as Excellent (just,) I'll leave the rest for a few years.
Now what have you guys been drinking? Vibes and impressions from lurkers who are coming out of the closet welcome.
What have you been guzzling? Sunday drinking reports due...
Had the graveyard shift on Friday night and thought I'd crack a bottle of By Farr Sangreal (in other words Pinot Noir) 2003 with some takeaway chinese.
This wine was good. Not overcooked (like many 03 Vic Pinot's) and had some real Pinot complexity to it. Good palate length and a perfect match with some duck. However, I prefer Bannockburn 02 Pinot to this wine.
cheers
anthony
This wine was good. Not overcooked (like many 03 Vic Pinot's) and had some real Pinot complexity to it. Good palate length and a perfect match with some duck. However, I prefer Bannockburn 02 Pinot to this wine.
cheers
anthony
Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach
Spanish saying
Spanish saying
Brown Brothers NV ($13) : This was cloudy like Coopers Ale - must have been a faulty bottle - still drank it as probably more interesting than if it was not faulty going from my memories of this nondescript Beige Bros bubbly.
2003 Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner , Austria ($25) : a poor bottle , not corked but instead of pears and spice this was like stale beer. Bit of a beer theme developing here !
2004 Cascabel The Joven Tempranillo ($20) : I don't like Tempranillo much usually as not enough tannin for mine but decided to buy this due to the producer. I quite liked this as the nose was savoury - say like Luncheon Loaf ( that's a kind of Adelaidian plebs Mortadella for the food snobs out there ) and was pleasant to drink. Intended to be drunk as young as possible according to the back label.
2003 Shaw and Smith Merlot Adelaide Hills ($22) : Not bad. I bet a few years ago the blokes in black skivvy's that produce this thought they'd be charging $40 for this.
2003 Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner , Austria ($25) : a poor bottle , not corked but instead of pears and spice this was like stale beer. Bit of a beer theme developing here !
2004 Cascabel The Joven Tempranillo ($20) : I don't like Tempranillo much usually as not enough tannin for mine but decided to buy this due to the producer. I quite liked this as the nose was savoury - say like Luncheon Loaf ( that's a kind of Adelaidian plebs Mortadella for the food snobs out there ) and was pleasant to drink. Intended to be drunk as young as possible according to the back label.
2003 Shaw and Smith Merlot Adelaide Hills ($22) : Not bad. I bet a few years ago the blokes in black skivvy's that produce this thought they'd be charging $40 for this.
Hi all,
Not much of note this week.
St Hugo '98 Cabernet. Lovely Coonawarra nose but whilst all components in balance a little dissapointing on the palate. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. 13.5%
Leasingham '02 Bastion Cabernet. No boring cheap fruit in this sub $12 beauty. A real surprise. 13.5%
Leo Burings '94 Leonay Riesling. All those lovely kerosene and honey developments however finishes a bit short.
Chuck
Not much of note this week.
St Hugo '98 Cabernet. Lovely Coonawarra nose but whilst all components in balance a little dissapointing on the palate. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. 13.5%
Leasingham '02 Bastion Cabernet. No boring cheap fruit in this sub $12 beauty. A real surprise. 13.5%
Leo Burings '94 Leonay Riesling. All those lovely kerosene and honey developments however finishes a bit short.
Chuck
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London Correspondent
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 3:45 am
Had a half bottle of 2000 Chateau de Gironville yesterday with half a dozen escargot.....everything in halves. Plonk French from the Haut Medoc (per Cos, Montrose). Cabernet base. Retails at about £6/split.....yes, you guessed, £17/split in the restaurant. Still, surprisingly good wine, very nice mouthfeel, good length, very tidy tannins. Plenty of sweet fruit....dare I say, it tasted like an Australian wine. Would be interesting to find out who the winemaker is. Anyway, certainly keep an eye out because this one is a bargain. Very, very drinkable.
At the other end of the scale, I had an '01 Chateau Tirecul Cuvee Madame. Not the same varietals as Sauternes/Barsac, and this shows in the different structure. Very, very full in the mouth, perhaps too much so. There's masses of primary fruit, with complex layering. It is, however, a bit cloying at the moment. The absence of good acid balance makes the sweet notes bite just a bit too hard. Nevertheless, it's no monolith. More of Lee Matthews doing ballet.......badly.
Cheers,
John
At the other end of the scale, I had an '01 Chateau Tirecul Cuvee Madame. Not the same varietals as Sauternes/Barsac, and this shows in the different structure. Very, very full in the mouth, perhaps too much so. There's masses of primary fruit, with complex layering. It is, however, a bit cloying at the moment. The absence of good acid balance makes the sweet notes bite just a bit too hard. Nevertheless, it's no monolith. More of Lee Matthews doing ballet.......badly.
Cheers,
John
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut
Pale honey colour with citrus nose dominating. The bubble is not as refined or as creamy as others. The palate is yeasty and high on acidity. The length is disappointing considering the producer. a disappointment. Pol Roger is still the fav along with Gosset
[/b]
Pale honey colour with citrus nose dominating. The bubble is not as refined or as creamy as others. The palate is yeasty and high on acidity. The length is disappointing considering the producer. a disappointment. Pol Roger is still the fav along with Gosset
[/b]
Cheers
Rob
"The red liquid circulating in my body is actually red wine, not blood."
Rob
"The red liquid circulating in my body is actually red wine, not blood."
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
Laurus 2001 Gigonda's- Grenache dominant Northern Rhone appellation. This bottle has 70% Old Vine grenache with most of the rest syrah and a dash of cinsault.
Pleasant wine by itself and amplified with food. Lovely Rhone grenache blackfruits, earth and spice, old oak evident. A wine enjoyed and not talked about.
Henschke Keyneton Estate 1995-
The Keyneton paradox. Is it better in youth or at it's maturation window? Crafted Henschke youthful complexity, albeit in a delineated oak/fruit fashion, or mature fruit melded with the oak and resolved tannins on a long acidic finish?
At beyond $30 a bottle Keyneton Estate may just be a better wine in youth!
Pleasant wine by itself and amplified with food. Lovely Rhone grenache blackfruits, earth and spice, old oak evident. A wine enjoyed and not talked about.
Henschke Keyneton Estate 1995-
The Keyneton paradox. Is it better in youth or at it's maturation window? Crafted Henschke youthful complexity, albeit in a delineated oak/fruit fashion, or mature fruit melded with the oak and resolved tannins on a long acidic finish?
At beyond $30 a bottle Keyneton Estate may just be a better wine in youth!
JamieBahrain wrote:Laurus 2001 Gigonda's- Grenache dominant Northern Rhone appellation. This bottle has 70% Old Vine grenache with most of the rest syrah and a dash of cinsault.
Pleasant wine by itself and amplified with food. Lovely Rhone grenache blackfruits, earth and spice, old oak evident. A wine enjoyed and not talked about.
]
Thanks for the note
It is hard for us to get a good variety of Gigondas in Australia.
Gigondas is Southern Rhone Appellation.
How do you tell it had old oak evident?
Is this Laurus from Chateau Raspail?
cheers
michel
Last edited by michel on Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
International Chambertin Day 16th May
Saturday night dinner guests arrived bearing an unexpectedly generous gift...
1999 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay. "Duval (or was it Falkenberg?), I congratulate you. A dry sherry which no-one in their right mind will drink, let alone buy..." Mid straw to pale yellow, there's little in the way of true oxidative notes, but lots of nuts, grapefruits and stone fruits. Over and above all that, there's oak, and plenty of it. Not thick or creamy, but fine and tight-grained. But still, it's very dominant. The palate is quite broad - there are no obvious holes - although the finish is a bit short, perhaps. Will it improve? I dunno. I hope so, because it's not really worth the RRP as it stands.
Continuing the oaky theme, we also had
1998 Mt Pleasant Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz (Hunter)
Referred to by a friend of mine as 'old this and old that', I recall this being much the best of the 98 Hunter shirazes from McWilliams. Tonight, this is a deep red, and displaying astounding oaky sweetness on the nose. It's got a bit of a blueberry milkshake quality about it, which is not at all as I recall it tasting 4 years ago. The palate is rich and sweet, but still very much in the primary phase of life, and although the tannins have settled down, it still has a simplistic sweetness at the moment. Needs a few more years to develop into something a bit more interesting and Hunterish, I hope, although it was only $25 upon release, so perhaps I hope for too much? We'll see.
cheers,
Graeme
1999 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay. "Duval (or was it Falkenberg?), I congratulate you. A dry sherry which no-one in their right mind will drink, let alone buy..." Mid straw to pale yellow, there's little in the way of true oxidative notes, but lots of nuts, grapefruits and stone fruits. Over and above all that, there's oak, and plenty of it. Not thick or creamy, but fine and tight-grained. But still, it's very dominant. The palate is quite broad - there are no obvious holes - although the finish is a bit short, perhaps. Will it improve? I dunno. I hope so, because it's not really worth the RRP as it stands.
Continuing the oaky theme, we also had
1998 Mt Pleasant Old Paddock and Old Hill Shiraz (Hunter)
Referred to by a friend of mine as 'old this and old that', I recall this being much the best of the 98 Hunter shirazes from McWilliams. Tonight, this is a deep red, and displaying astounding oaky sweetness on the nose. It's got a bit of a blueberry milkshake quality about it, which is not at all as I recall it tasting 4 years ago. The palate is rich and sweet, but still very much in the primary phase of life, and although the tannins have settled down, it still has a simplistic sweetness at the moment. Needs a few more years to develop into something a bit more interesting and Hunterish, I hope, although it was only $25 upon release, so perhaps I hope for too much? We'll see.
cheers,
Graeme
Too hot for big reds most of the week but there was rose in reserve just for that reason.
2004 Turkey Flat Rose - easy drinking well made rose - funny how tasking notes never stick in the mind with rose, guess it just means I don't take them too seriously.
2004 Noon Rose - at 14.5% (from memory know it is 14. something) this is a bit high in alcohol for easy quaffing - not that it is hot or out of balance it is just not as more-ish on hot night as a lighter style
Finally a cool change
1991 Wynns Cab Sauv - good wine in good nick but just not my style at the moment
2004 Turkey Flat Rose - easy drinking well made rose - funny how tasking notes never stick in the mind with rose, guess it just means I don't take them too seriously.
2004 Noon Rose - at 14.5% (from memory know it is 14. something) this is a bit high in alcohol for easy quaffing - not that it is hot or out of balance it is just not as more-ish on hot night as a lighter style
Finally a cool change
1991 Wynns Cab Sauv - good wine in good nick but just not my style at the moment
David J
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake 1Ti 5:23
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake 1Ti 5:23
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
Michel
Laurus as in as in Gabrielle Meffre. This estate produces a wine from near every Appellation in the Rhone- from Cote Rotie to white CNP, Muscat de Beumes and St Joseph etc.
Thank you for the correction on my Northern Rhone reference. But I have excuses! Firstly, I have worked my way through their portfolio this week and have consumed mostly from the north- St Joseph & Crozes Hermitage. Secondly, my Gigonda's bottles have a Northern Rhone label of Crozes Hermitage but the back states Gigonda's as does the cork; coupled with the unmistakable soft and spicey grenache fruit of the Southern Rhone, the wine definately Gigonda's.
Laurus gives a good deal of oak aging for it's Gigonda's in old 275ltr barrels. I have found earthy nuances such as must and leather, on a solid "planky" base more likely the product of old oak aging, as opposed to fruit development in Rhone's of such a young age. The old oak very discernible when not plagued by brett- everpresent in cheaper Rhones.
I must add, that these Rhones are a handful of Euro's in France, but appear in the $40 to $50 bracket in our part of the world. To get to excited about them overdoing it, even though price may command it!
Pricewise, for Aus' comparison, it should be compared in the at home $15 a bottle bracket. As to, Beaucastel and friends should be compared to Melton's 9Popes price bracket- the later evidence we have a long, long way to go in terms of longevity and complexity.
Laurus as in as in Gabrielle Meffre. This estate produces a wine from near every Appellation in the Rhone- from Cote Rotie to white CNP, Muscat de Beumes and St Joseph etc.
Thank you for the correction on my Northern Rhone reference. But I have excuses! Firstly, I have worked my way through their portfolio this week and have consumed mostly from the north- St Joseph & Crozes Hermitage. Secondly, my Gigonda's bottles have a Northern Rhone label of Crozes Hermitage but the back states Gigonda's as does the cork; coupled with the unmistakable soft and spicey grenache fruit of the Southern Rhone, the wine definately Gigonda's.
Laurus gives a good deal of oak aging for it's Gigonda's in old 275ltr barrels. I have found earthy nuances such as must and leather, on a solid "planky" base more likely the product of old oak aging, as opposed to fruit development in Rhone's of such a young age. The old oak very discernible when not plagued by brett- everpresent in cheaper Rhones.
I must add, that these Rhones are a handful of Euro's in France, but appear in the $40 to $50 bracket in our part of the world. To get to excited about them overdoing it, even though price may command it!
Pricewise, for Aus' comparison, it should be compared in the at home $15 a bottle bracket. As to, Beaucastel and friends should be compared to Melton's 9Popes price bracket- the later evidence we have a long, long way to go in terms of longevity and complexity.
JamieBahrain wrote:Michel
Laurus as in as in Gabrielle Meffre. This estate produces a wine from near every Appellation in the Rhone- from Cote Rotie to white CNP, Muscat de Beumes and St Joseph etc.
Thank you for the correction on my Northern Rhone reference. But I have excuses! Firstly, I have worked my way through their portfolio this week and have consumed mostly from the north- St Joseph & Crozes Hermitage. Secondly, my Gigonda's bottles have a Northern Rhone label of Crozes Hermitage but the back states Gigonda's as does the cork; coupled with the unmistakable soft grenache fruit of the Southern Rhone, the wine definately Gigonda's.
Laurus gives a good deal of oak aging for it's Gigonda's in old 275ltr barrels. I have found earthy nuances such as must and leather, on a solid "planky" base more likely the product of old oak aging, as opposed to fruit development in Rhone's of such a young age. The old oak very discernible when not plagued by brett- everpresent in cheaper Rhones.
I must add, that these Rhones are a handful of Euro's in France, but appear in the $40 to $50 bracket in our part of the world. To get to excited about them overdoing it, even though price may command it!
Pricewise, for Aus' comparison, it should be compared in the at home $15 a bottle bracket. As to, Beaucastel and friends should be compared to Melton's 9Popes price bracket- the later evidence we have a long, long way to go in terms of longevity and complexity.
YOu are excused- we need more Rhone TN on the forum!
YOu are so correct - what sells for 6-12 quid overseas is 40 or 50 Aussie dollars and that is unfair.
Thanks Jamie.
International Chambertin Day 16th May
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Merino
Re: What have you been guzzling? Sunday drinking reports due
TORB wrote:Hi Good Peoples,
Jasper Hill 1999 Georgia - The nose is ripe with a touch of VA, prominent vanilla and mushroom together with coffee/mocha and brooding black fruit. A rock solid, full-bodied wine with abundant powdery tannins that still need years to integrate, the powerful fruit is pure and deeply seated and should be up to the task in the long term. Coffee, chocolate, mushroom, blackberry, aniseed, with a most unusual, almost burnt taste and a touch of mint leaves the palate chewy and dry. Rated as Excellent (just,) I'll leave the rest for a few years.
Ric, do you agreed, the recent Georgia(s) weren't a patch of their '99?
Shame, JO was completely off the mark
Merino,
I have not tried many of the recent Jaspers but nothing that I have tried (since 99) has been up to the 99. Vintage conditions after that (for most years) in Heathcote have not been great which does not help either.
The reason I sacrificed a bottle was because I saw Olivers review and wanted to check it out for myself. He did miss the boat on this one but that could be caused by any number of factors.
I have not tried many of the recent Jaspers but nothing that I have tried (since 99) has been up to the 99. Vintage conditions after that (for most years) in Heathcote have not been great which does not help either.
The reason I sacrificed a bottle was because I saw Olivers review and wanted to check it out for myself. He did miss the boat on this one but that could be caused by any number of factors.
2001 Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay (Cork): Medium yellow colour. A surprisingly fresh and crisp nose of green apple and citrus, with just a hint of toast. The toasty/crunchy palate shows more bottle age characters; a spine of stonefruit and firm acid with hints of honey and aniseed, and a good nutty finish. This seemed to be even fresher than at the 2001-2003 mini-vertical at the cellar door this time last year.
2002 Serafino McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon (Cork): Dark to inky purple colour. Decanting using the breatheasy filled the room with coffee oak, and yet there wasn’t a trace in the glass; an open and complex nose of cassis, beetroot, iodine, and hints of chalk, rose petals, coal, dried herbs and malt. The medium-weight palate is equally open and spicy on entry, with what appears to be a large slice of malty oak completely enveloped in glorious cassis/cherry fruit, powdery tannins and a hint of VA, finally appearing on the long finish with a trace of vanilla. Recently named Winestate magazine’s Cabernet Sauvignon of 2004, and a gold medal winner at the 2004 Royal Adelaide Wine Show; it’s so true to the variety it could have come from anywhere, and it’s easy to see how it won these accolades. Maybe it’s even worth a ring-in appearance at the upcoming Blacktongues 2002 Barossa Cabernet taste off if there’s the space Steve!
Cheers,
Ian
2002 Serafino McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon (Cork): Dark to inky purple colour. Decanting using the breatheasy filled the room with coffee oak, and yet there wasn’t a trace in the glass; an open and complex nose of cassis, beetroot, iodine, and hints of chalk, rose petals, coal, dried herbs and malt. The medium-weight palate is equally open and spicy on entry, with what appears to be a large slice of malty oak completely enveloped in glorious cassis/cherry fruit, powdery tannins and a hint of VA, finally appearing on the long finish with a trace of vanilla. Recently named Winestate magazine’s Cabernet Sauvignon of 2004, and a gold medal winner at the 2004 Royal Adelaide Wine Show; it’s so true to the variety it could have come from anywhere, and it’s easy to see how it won these accolades. Maybe it’s even worth a ring-in appearance at the upcoming Blacktongues 2002 Barossa Cabernet taste off if there’s the space Steve!
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
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Merino
TORB wrote:Merino,
I have not tried many of the recent Jaspers but nothing that I have tried (since 99) has been up to the 99. Vintage conditions after that (for most years) in Heathcote have not been great which does not help either.
The reason I sacrificed a bottle was because I saw Olivers review and wanted to check it out for myself. He did miss the boat on this one but that could be caused by any number of factors.
Ric, I gathered from your tour diary that Ron served a vertical during your visit. Heathcote has a fantastic run of vintages, the hottest and the driest micro-climate in Vic.
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Guest
Bannockburn 2000 Shiraz
Just finished my last bottle from a case of 6. I remembered my nightmarish evening when i tasted my first, it was corked beyond belief. Unforntunately, the host of the party threw it out before i returned the following week, so i missed out on returning it for a replacement. But it was a learning curve on two fronts; one i new positively what a corked wine tasted like and to remember to keep it for a full return, and that after consuming my 6th bottle of Bannockburn, i don't like this style.
Just finished my last bottle from a case of 6. I remembered my nightmarish evening when i tasted my first, it was corked beyond belief. Unforntunately, the host of the party threw it out before i returned the following week, so i missed out on returning it for a replacement. But it was a learning curve on two fronts; one i new positively what a corked wine tasted like and to remember to keep it for a full return, and that after consuming my 6th bottle of Bannockburn, i don't like this style.
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Gianna
With a few friends, we gave friday lunch a nudge this week.
After we decided on the eye fillet, (with sauteed onions and a mushroom sauce) and had the obligatory starter, a Peroni beer , we enjoyed:
2001 Bowen Estate Shiraz:
I know alot of people rate Bowen Estate, but I just find that Coonawarra shiraz never quite cuts it for me. - A sharp wine that was peppery and spicy. Dark cherries with a meaty flavour. Recommended
1999 Michelton Print Shiraz
I thought this was great wine approaching its peak in a year or two.
It reminded me of a Barossa shiraz with vanilla oak, dusty tannins with mocha and berries. A long aftertaste. Highly Recommended
1999 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz
I have an unopened case in the cellar and was keen to try this wine as the 1998 was one of my favorites tasted last year.
However, the 99 did not quite live up to my expectation. It was "rough".
I felt that the tannins were still to integrate and that the fruit lacked richness.
Lots of oak and black berries. Recommended (just, for the price)
- Being dissapointed with this wine, I opened another the next day from my stash. Happy to say, I think the other one was bottle variation.
The one at home was full of licorice, mocha, chocolate, raspberries, plums and typical use of oak from St Hallett. - This will be a great wine in another 5 years.
1999 James Irvine - Grand Merlot
After an hour in the decanter to let the bottle stink blow off, this wine developed into a very pleasing, stylish and silky wine. I don't often drink straight merlot, but I was suitably impressed. Very earthy and jammy. It finished tight and the tannins gripped the tongue and left a long aftertaste. Good QPR, recommended and I would definetely buy it again, especially with a meat dish over lunch.
2003 Mitolo GAM Shiraz
I was also keen to try this wine after reading so much about it. A beautiful deep purple color with hints of plums, redcurrants, white pepper on the nose. A big wine that explodes in the mouth. Still a little hot on the taste, but great upfront flavours of olives, chocolate oak, plums. Nicely balanced and also a long aftertaste. I think a window of 5 years will be the right cellaring, not 7 + as others have noted. Highly Recommended. - Buy it at around $45 for sure.
2001 Moss Wood Cab Sav
Ahhh, what a good cab sav can taste like.
The most expensive of the day and god knows why we waited til the end, but easily the wine of the afternoon. A bit of a shiraz overload made us appreciate the noble cabernet grape even more. Lovely perfumed nose of olives, cedar, earthy forest floor and coffee and blueberries. A dark almost black color that let you know this wine was for the long haul.
The taste was very smooth. Silky tannins with a tight structure, cassis and creamy oak that displayed complex layers of small berry flavour. Time to give the amex another hit and buy a case of these. Excellent.
5 hours just never seems long enough when you are having a good time over lunch......
After we decided on the eye fillet, (with sauteed onions and a mushroom sauce) and had the obligatory starter, a Peroni beer , we enjoyed:
2001 Bowen Estate Shiraz:
I know alot of people rate Bowen Estate, but I just find that Coonawarra shiraz never quite cuts it for me. - A sharp wine that was peppery and spicy. Dark cherries with a meaty flavour. Recommended
1999 Michelton Print Shiraz
I thought this was great wine approaching its peak in a year or two.
It reminded me of a Barossa shiraz with vanilla oak, dusty tannins with mocha and berries. A long aftertaste. Highly Recommended
1999 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz
I have an unopened case in the cellar and was keen to try this wine as the 1998 was one of my favorites tasted last year.
However, the 99 did not quite live up to my expectation. It was "rough".
I felt that the tannins were still to integrate and that the fruit lacked richness.
Lots of oak and black berries. Recommended (just, for the price)
- Being dissapointed with this wine, I opened another the next day from my stash. Happy to say, I think the other one was bottle variation.
The one at home was full of licorice, mocha, chocolate, raspberries, plums and typical use of oak from St Hallett. - This will be a great wine in another 5 years.
1999 James Irvine - Grand Merlot
After an hour in the decanter to let the bottle stink blow off, this wine developed into a very pleasing, stylish and silky wine. I don't often drink straight merlot, but I was suitably impressed. Very earthy and jammy. It finished tight and the tannins gripped the tongue and left a long aftertaste. Good QPR, recommended and I would definetely buy it again, especially with a meat dish over lunch.
2003 Mitolo GAM Shiraz
I was also keen to try this wine after reading so much about it. A beautiful deep purple color with hints of plums, redcurrants, white pepper on the nose. A big wine that explodes in the mouth. Still a little hot on the taste, but great upfront flavours of olives, chocolate oak, plums. Nicely balanced and also a long aftertaste. I think a window of 5 years will be the right cellaring, not 7 + as others have noted. Highly Recommended. - Buy it at around $45 for sure.
2001 Moss Wood Cab Sav
Ahhh, what a good cab sav can taste like.
The most expensive of the day and god knows why we waited til the end, but easily the wine of the afternoon. A bit of a shiraz overload made us appreciate the noble cabernet grape even more. Lovely perfumed nose of olives, cedar, earthy forest floor and coffee and blueberries. A dark almost black color that let you know this wine was for the long haul.
The taste was very smooth. Silky tannins with a tight structure, cassis and creamy oak that displayed complex layers of small berry flavour. Time to give the amex another hit and buy a case of these. Excellent.
5 hours just never seems long enough when you are having a good time over lunch......
Brands Laira Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
We had a bottle of this wine about a year ago. The changes over that period are all very positive. After about 30 minutes in the decanter, the nose is screaming Coonawarra Cabernet. The lovely chocolate and cassis on the nose are there on the palate which has very good length and complex evolving flavours. Fine tannins, great structure and good fruit make this a delightful Coonawarra drinking experience.
Seppelt Harpers Range Cabernet 1999
Just cleaning out the cellar with this one. Two more left. Brown tinges around the edges. Was OK at a pasta and pizza joint with a group of friends. They thought it was good. I thought it was OK.
Moondah Brook Shiraz 1998
The last one. As before, great VFM shiraz but not quite as good as a year ago.
Graham
We had a bottle of this wine about a year ago. The changes over that period are all very positive. After about 30 minutes in the decanter, the nose is screaming Coonawarra Cabernet. The lovely chocolate and cassis on the nose are there on the palate which has very good length and complex evolving flavours. Fine tannins, great structure and good fruit make this a delightful Coonawarra drinking experience.
Seppelt Harpers Range Cabernet 1999
Just cleaning out the cellar with this one. Two more left. Brown tinges around the edges. Was OK at a pasta and pizza joint with a group of friends. They thought it was good. I thought it was OK.
Moondah Brook Shiraz 1998
The last one. As before, great VFM shiraz but not quite as good as a year ago.
Graham
Chardonnay: A drink you have when there is no RED wine, the beer hasn't arrived and the water may be polluted
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Guest
TORB wrote:Merino,
I have not tried many of the recent Jaspers but nothing that I have tried (since 99) has been up to the 99. Vintage conditions after that (for most years) in Heathcote have not been great which does not help either.
The reason I sacrificed a bottle was because I saw Olivers review and wanted to check it out for myself. He did miss the boat on this one but that could be caused by any number of factors.
I think he missed the boat on the Dead Arm and Run Rig also.
-
Merino
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Gianna
Gianna wrote:I also think the JO has slipped.
Petaluma better than Moss Wood ?
Bowen Estate Shiraz a number 2 quality ranking?
His drinking windows seem to long for my thoughts, but then again, he does rank thousands of wines and vintages which cannot be an easy task.
JO is brave, which sometimes leads to mistakes, more often I feel he reacts too strongly to vintage variations, marking a normally 12 year wine down to a 4 year wine (say). I've encountered at least a couple of these where the wine was at least on a plateau, after the end of his suggested window. Perhaps the same is true where he extends the window (though I have no personal experience of this).
However his approach allows him to trust his palate, rather than relying on past glories. It appears that after getting much stick about Henschke ratings, his judgements have been vindicated.
On the whole I'm glad he's around & the fact he's not in business with any wineries is in my view a bonus.
Ian
I think he missed the boat on the Dead Arm and Run Rig also.
Guest,
Having just reread Oliver's Dead Arm review, I guess I must have missed the boat on this one too as I agree with the majority of what he has written about the 2002 wine. I'm interested to know why you think he's missed the boat and where your opinion differs from his. In terms of Run Rig, here is Oliver's tasting note.....
Sumptuous, concentrated and deeply spiced shiraz with meaty notes of treacle, licorice and currants. Clearly a hot year wine, itÂ’s both smooth and powerful, with a great depth and length of deeply ripened and slightly stewy raisin-like flavours. Viognier lends some attractive floral notes to its perfume, while the oak has a slightly varnishy aspect. 94 points, drink 2009-2013.
That also looks pretty reasonable and once again I would like to know where you think he's gone wrong.
JO has lost alot of following of late, too inconsistent.
Marino,
How do you know he has lost following, are you pretty to his readership statistics? In terms of inconsistency, I would be interested to know in what way you find in inconsistent. By the sound of it Campbell does that for you which is good.
Let's face it, no matter how closely your palate alines with any reviewer, there are always going to be exceptions. Even Brian and I, who have incredibly similar tastes, disagree over some wines. The trick is to find a reviewer whose palate is the closest match to your own and try to stick with them.
Gianna,
In relation to Oliver's drinking predictions, in years gone by, I too thought his windows were very generous. However, I now find that when I compare my drinking window forecasts with his, they are frequently very close. There will always be differences, but IMO Oliver gets it right most of the time.
Like you, I just can't understand the Bowen Shiraz rating and think it's way over the top but I did to a bit of research between Moss Wood and Petaluma. Over the last ten vintages, Moss Wood has averaged 18.1 and Petaluma has averaged 18.5 which is pretty close. Whilst the current Moss Wood's are terrific wines, some of the vintages in the mid-90s were not exactly great. This has properly an impact on the 2 rating and could explain the difference. From a personal perspective, I have bought every vintage of Petaluma since 1986 and have rarely been disappointed with them. As an aside, they are far better value for money and can still be had for around $40, were Moss Wood is twice that price.
-
Von Ridler
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 8:11 am
- Location: Sydney
Torb,
Interesting that I have come accross a thread on JO drinking windows, I was going to post on the same subject.
I have two vintage of Grange with which I am always looking for tasting notes and drinking windows to determine when ready.
JO 2005 Wine Annual has confused the picture, the 1986 Grange he gives a window of 2016-2026 yet in the 2004 edition the window was 2006-2016.
The 1995 Grange has a window in the 2004 edition of 2007-2015 yet in the current 2005 edition it is expanded to 2025-2035.
I last opened a 1995 a year back and it was coming around nicely and to me confirmed ratings of being a early drinking Grange.
Maybe JO was at the last Rewards of Patience and has made the revisions.
These two vintages are not the only Grange adjustments in the 2005.
Most other adjustments are also extended by 10 years.
The other interesting factor is both the 1995 and 1986 are rated 95.
Regards,
Ron.
Interesting that I have come accross a thread on JO drinking windows, I was going to post on the same subject.
I have two vintage of Grange with which I am always looking for tasting notes and drinking windows to determine when ready.
JO 2005 Wine Annual has confused the picture, the 1986 Grange he gives a window of 2016-2026 yet in the 2004 edition the window was 2006-2016.
The 1995 Grange has a window in the 2004 edition of 2007-2015 yet in the current 2005 edition it is expanded to 2025-2035.
I last opened a 1995 a year back and it was coming around nicely and to me confirmed ratings of being a early drinking Grange.
Maybe JO was at the last Rewards of Patience and has made the revisions.
These two vintages are not the only Grange adjustments in the 2005.
Most other adjustments are also extended by 10 years.
The other interesting factor is both the 1995 and 1986 are rated 95.
Regards,
Ron.
Gianna wrote:
1999 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz
I have an unopened case in the cellar and was keen to try this wine as the 1998 was one of my favorites tasted last year.
However, the 99 did not quite live up to my expectation. It was "rough".
I felt that the tannins were still to integrate and that the fruit lacked richness.
Lots of oak and black berries. Recommended (just, for the price)
- Being dissapointed with this wine, I opened another the next day from my stash. Happy to say, I think the other one was bottle variation.
The one at home was full of licorice, mocha, chocolate, raspberries, plums and typical use of oak from St Hallett. - This will be a great wine in another 5 years.
[...
Glad that you tried the second one. I have been drinking the 1999 off and on now since release and have always loved this vintage, especially compared to later ones.
Cheers
-Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS
FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia.
Now accepting wine for our next auction.
http://www.wickman.net.au
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-Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS
FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia.
Now accepting wine for our next auction.
http://www.wickman.net.au
Twitter: @WickWine
YouTube: WickWineAuction
Gianna wrote:
1999 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz
I have an unopened case in the cellar and was keen to try this wine as the 1998 was one of my favorites tasted last year.
However, the 99 did not quite live up to my expectation. It was "rough".
I felt that the tannins were still to integrate and that the fruit lacked richness.
Lots of oak and black berries. Recommended (just, for the price)
- Being dissapointed with this wine, I opened another the next day from my stash. Happy to say, I think the other one was bottle variation.
The one at home was full of licorice, mocha, chocolate, raspberries, plums and typical use of oak from St Hallett. - This will be a great wine in another 5 years.
[...
Glad that you tried the second one. I have been drinking the 1999 off and on now since release and have always loved this vintage, especially compared to later ones.
Cheers
-Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS
FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia.
Now accepting wine for our next auction.
http://www.wickman.net.au
Twitter: @WickWine
YouTube: WickWineAuction
-Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS
FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia.
Now accepting wine for our next auction.
http://www.wickman.net.au
Twitter: @WickWine
YouTube: WickWineAuction
Myself and several close friends rate the Jasper Hill Georgia's 2002 as probably the best young wine we tried during 2003 and bought up accordingly. If the 1999 is a whole lot better than that then it must be absolutely stunning or we've all got crap palates!
Best wine I've had this week is the 2002 Mt.Ida Shiraz. I was a big fan of this wine when I discovered the 1991 vintage in it's old red label days. Subsequent vintages were all very good to excellent but that ended with the disasterous 1997 and then it became some kind of corporate Victorian blend rather than a Heatchcote vineyard wine. Great to see it back to a Heathcote wine, great to see it under screwcap, great to see the wine in 2002 has real intensity of blackberries and cream with a touch of spice woven through and a finegrained finish of real length. I'll be buying this label again for the first time since 1996. So here's a corporate I'm buying guys!
Best wine I've had this week is the 2002 Mt.Ida Shiraz. I was a big fan of this wine when I discovered the 1991 vintage in it's old red label days. Subsequent vintages were all very good to excellent but that ended with the disasterous 1997 and then it became some kind of corporate Victorian blend rather than a Heatchcote vineyard wine. Great to see it back to a Heathcote wine, great to see it under screwcap, great to see the wine in 2002 has real intensity of blackberries and cream with a touch of spice woven through and a finegrained finish of real length. I'll be buying this label again for the first time since 1996. So here's a corporate I'm buying guys!
Cheers - Steve
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
-
Gianna
TORB Wrote:
Yes Ric, that's a very valid point and as unless one is endowed with the seeds from a money tree, value vs quality must always be an issue.
I only have the 98 and 99 Petalumas in the cellar and have resisted from drinking them yet. I've tried many at restaurants, but generally they were drunk without too much decanting time or bottle age.
See, I've found a reason to crack open another bottle, thanks Ric.
From a personal perspective, I have bought every vintage of Petaluma since 1986 and have rarely been disappointed with them. As an aside, they are far better value for money and can still be had for around $40, were Moss Wood is twice that price.
Yes Ric, that's a very valid point and as unless one is endowed with the seeds from a money tree, value vs quality must always be an issue.
I only have the 98 and 99 Petalumas in the cellar and have resisted from drinking them yet. I've tried many at restaurants, but generally they were drunk without too much decanting time or bottle age.
See, I've found a reason to crack open another bottle, thanks Ric.