Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks Craig. Must get mine before it’s too hot to ship.

Had a really quaffable Penna Lane Watervale 2012 the other day. Perfect summer wine with bbq seafood in the backyard.

[Con J]

Opening this tonight, first of the five I got recently, fingers crossed.

Cheers Con.

[Rossco]

Second last wine event of the year. This happened late last month
and now im all caught up with my notes! - Hopefully my #OnlyFan stalker is very happy now

Theme of the night was Burgundy vs Imitators - 25th November 2022


Wine # 1 – Pre Pre Extra – 2014 Domaine Parigot Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes De Beaune VV
Not meant to be part of the night, just something to look at while others arrived.
This was quite simple and lacked fruit definition. Didn’t taste or even feel like a Chardonnay, structure seemed wrong. Bit too thin and acidic. We all picked Carricante. Not sure what happened here, wasn’t faulty, just lacked the variety. Maybe on the downward slope due to age? Bourgogne is meant to be drunk early.


Wine # 2 (Starting Bubbles) – NV Bellebonne Rose Bis
Super interesting wine here. Pinkish hue gave some slight indication as to what people were in for. Nose leaps out of the glass. All dries flowers, rosewater, Turkish delights. Some slight mushroom/forest floor as well – earthiness. Wonderful aroma – stunning.
Everyone picked majority Pinot, which was almost right. Its 100% pinot. Blanc de noirs which isn’t common amongst the group, so I thought it a really good chance to put one on. All but one thought it to be from champagne, such was the depth of flavour, minerality and quality of this wine. And we have some experienced champagne drinkers here.
In the mouth, more musk/musk sticks, truffle, strawberry compote, roses and lovely dried florals. Utter delight to drink. Acid was perfect, ran all the way through the palate. Length was unbelievable, mousse perfect, fine delicate soft clouds. Top stuff and would hold its own easily amongst wines double or triple the price. Would love to try the Vintage version – Nat Fryar you are a superstar!
 

Wine # 3 – 2018 Buisson-Charles Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or
Yellow with a hint of green in colour, touch of straw in there too, but darker than the young vintage implies. Looks older.
Lovely burgundy nose, depth of fruit here smells divine. 2018 was a ripe year, this is 13.5% which is interesting. White flowers, nettles on the nose, maybe some white peach, some green papaya too, but those florals are wonderful. Big hit of White peach in the mouth, some aniseed/fennel notes. Some lively fruits here, a little raw cashew, grapefruit and some milky solids, like a creamy vanilla custard – really fills out the wine. I really enjoyed the chalky minerals, nice silky texture, high quality oak, length and acidity is just beautiful. Meursault on song! Only white of the night interestingly, so im going to call White wine of the night!


Wine # 4 – 2010 Domaine G. Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussiere
Nice clear Dark cherry red in colour. Bright Red fruits on the nose, lots of spice and liquorice – wonderful nose here. It’s the structure that stands out immediately on the palate. Long, gravelly tannins just coat the cheeks (burg for sure based on that structure); but then comes that fruit. Depth of fruit is remarkable, powerful and persistent – im thinking Grand Cru type quality, but it’s a young(ish) wine. Some hard acid that needs taming with time, fruit is very much up to that task too. Feels about 10 years old and im in Gevrey. Cherry fruits, pomegranates, slight strawberry notes, but that spice – baking spices, and more aniseed is quite intense. Stoney minerals as well but there is something else, earth – wet dark earth with some cedar/fern type aspects right at the end. Lovely


Wine # 5 – 2008 Punch Lance’s Vineyard Close Planted (Yarra Valley)
Dark cherry, with tinges of browning/blurring. Looks older than the previous wine. Very, very earthy nose, definitely into its secondary tertiary phase, just backs up the colour in the glass as an older wine. In the mouth it feels new world. Missing that burg structure, has a heap of rich ripe fruits that most burgs don’t have. The Acid it there, but not the tannin, maybe time has tamed them. Red Fruits are still holding on, strawberry & dark cherry more white pepper spices, but that earth is really pungent. It speaks of place, its wet mushrooms and undergrowth. Fresh mountain air after a storm, slatey wet minerals – lovely stuff but drink now based on this bottle.
 

Wine # 6 – 2020 Bass Philip Estate ‘Old Vines’
Bright red cherry in colour, just shines in the glass – smells young though – lots of black pepper and spice; Star anise in particular – again some salty minerals but very young. A bit all arms and legs, however the quality is there. Very high-quality fruits… but it’s a confusing wine. The fruit is all new world, but that structure feels old world. The clarity is quite something; it’s a striking colour. First Vintage made (or finished off?) by the new owners.
Burgundy structure, some very prominent tannin – almost a rusty tannin. More core fruits of dark cherry and a touch of bbq blood orange. A final hint of forest floor at the end, lovely red serious fruit.


Wine # 7 – 2011 Bernhard Huber Sommerhalde Spätburgunder ‘R’ GG
Sensational nose once again, it’s a ‘complete’ nose, has everything you could want. Lovely fruits, oak, purple florals and spice… lots going on even before you taste – complex! This again speaks of place. Feels like some whole bunch in there; has a stinkyness about it, wet socks & mushroom compost. Just adds to the complexity and intrigue about what this wine is. Nice length, fruit red to purple fruits, some pastille sweetness as well. Darker cherries, plums, cloves and some spice. Something different that’s for sure! A very good Imitator!!
 

Wine # 8 – 2015 Mark Haisma Volnay Les Paux Bois
Young in the glass, and again bright red. Clear and clarity of the wine is beautiful, shines bright.
Feels so much like a new world wine, lots of ripe upfront red fruits, touch of acid, not a lot of oak, this has to be new world! Genuinely floored when the answer was revealed as Volnay. My chin is still sore! There wasn’t any real noticeable oak, but there is some tannin here. Wild Strawberries, compote, few rose petals, and sweet red cherries. Nice intensity of fruit, still not in Burg. Needs more tannin/structure.


Wine # 9 – 2005 Domaine Gros Frere et Soeur Vosne-Romanee
Green and leafy on the nose, this smells different to all the others.
Has a very hard lemony type acid I just cant get past. I think its VA, but it is too distracting for me. Ruins the fruit and other aspects of the wine. I tip it out, but others seemed to enjoy it. Must just be me not on my game or having a good night.... or more than likely i have no idea what im doing
 

Wine # 10 – 2015 Greystone ‘Thomas Brothers’ North Canterbury NZ
Young and definitely new world. Very hard unyielding acid. Quite oaky that needs time to integrate and calm down. All arms and legs at the moment, disjointed and need to come together. That acid is distracting, but not faulty like the previous one seemed to be, just a very hard slog for now. Keep for 8+ before looking again and hope those underlying fruits come shining through.
 

Wine # 11 – 2014 Domaine de la Vougeraie Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
Huge burgundy nose, mushrooms, wet earth, undergrowth and pine needles.
Structure backs up the nose, and Im still in burgundy, Dry and dusty tannin, not dominating, but not subtle either. Florals are just wonderful here – all purple and dried type notes. Lavender and dried violet but some other herb – fennel maybe?
Nice, rounded fleshy fruit as well, dark red and purple, maybe even some young blackberries, mushrooms and damp earth. I do love the earthiness here. Its an edgy wine – sits right on the cusp of being great. Again, just a matter of time.


Wine # 12 – 2017 Prophets Rock Cuvee Aux Antipodes
Stinky nose, barnyard and some slight earth. Mushroom compost again…. Must be the night for it- or its me. Very dark colour, purple type dark crimson. Berry compote, some coal minerals with cola sweetness and yet another very confusing wine. Fruit is all new world, but that structure just screams burgundy. Hard to pick a side as both are right….yet only one can be. I will go new world (Finally got one right), A French winemaker in NZ! Well isn’t this a treat, rare wine – apparently only 2 vintages made with this winemaker. The talk was he was looking to establish vineyards in the region and made some wine while down there. Nice perfume here, lots of violets some plums, dried herbs. The fruit is quite dense, fine tannin structure very good length. Lovely wine
 

Wine # 13 (Finisher) – 1992 Stanton & Killeen ‘Jacks Block’ Vintage Port
Looks and smells like a VP – lovely almond spirit, sweet darker fruits but a very dry wine, im in Oz. Dry tannins, firm tannins, a mix between dusty and gravelly. Mocha notes, burnt orange with some terry’s chocolate orange in there too. Lots of deep, dark spices, baking spices, cinnamon, star anise, a bit of 5 spice maybe? – Lots going on here.
Black cherry, explosive palate. Perfect spirit, just allows that fruit to shine - length is beautiful
Wonderful finisher.

[Con J]

Opening this tonight, first of the five I got recently, fingers crossed.

Cheers Con.

Looking very tired. All tertiary no fruit, some interest on the palate.

Cheers Con.

[Ian S]

There are certainly some *very* good pinot noir wines coming out of Germany, albeit the prices can be eye-watering as well.

[mychurch]

Opening this tonight, first of the five I got recently, fingers crossed.

Cheers Con.

Looking very tired. All tertiary no fruit, some interest on the palate.

Cheers Con.

How did it go with food Con ? I find a lot of these oldies come alive with a nice lump of meat, but are like drinking liquid death when drunk on their own.

[Con J]

Opening this tonight, first of the five I got recently, fingers crossed.

Cheers Con.

Looking very tired. All tertiary no fruit, some interest on the palate.

Cheers Con.

How did it go with food Con ? I find a lot of these oldies come alive with a nice lump of meat, but are like drinking liquid death when drunk on their own.

It was just a curio in the end, not unpleasant or faulty just old and tired. Although it did sit in the decanter for about half an hour. Maybe next one pop, decant to get rid of sediment and serve, might get a few hart beats before she fades.

Had a lovely 2014 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot last night.

Cheers Con.

[mychurch]

Had another fun afternoon with Jerrem at the Archive wine bar. As always we stuck to the 75 ml pours and we tried 10 wines during the afternoon - so a half bottle pp over 4 hours.

No bad wines, but a few stood out more than the others. From the whites the 20 PYCM Aligote was the easiest to drink, but it was trumped quality wise by Seppelt 06 Drumburg Riesling and the 08 Tyrrells Futures Semillon, both of which were starting to show signs of the aging process kicking in. The last wine in particular would have been very easy to drink a bottle of.

The wines if the day though were the last 2: 95 Bowen Cabernet and 96 Tally Reserve Cabernet, Balnaves. The Bowen had a to die for nose, full of Terra Rossa Leafy notes - no need to drink, just smell. In the mouth though there was more leafy red fruit and a strawberry and cream finish. A touch jammy, this was at its peak. Drink up.

The Tally is still not quite there. The nose had some leafiness that the Bowen showed, but it was a bit closed. In the mouth. This had exquisite balance, with some leafiness, dark berry fruit and some cigar box. Finish was long and this has the structure to age and gain complexity for a number of years. Very impressive and the first Tally I have actually enjoyed.

[VinoEd]

A bit of a mixed bag last night, the Chateau Magdelaine was very enjoyable. Whisson one I’ve been impressed with now off a few tastings of various wines / vintages.

Cheers Ed

[mychurch]

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Picked up some auction wine yesterday morning and this 92 John Riddoch was in a batch that came with 2 lovely bottles of 86 Jamiesons Run. Expected the level to be low - otherwise it would be been sold in the main auction - but this was even lower than I thought it would be: Just above low shoulder. The cork had been leaking and so once I got back from Geelong I decided to put this bottle out of its misery. DOA ? Nope. Not the best nose after pouring the saturated and slightly shrunken cork out, with stewed fruit and prune notes, but it was not oxidised. The first glass had some dried fruit and acetone initially, but as the air took hold the wine mellowed , balance appeared and it relaxed. By the 2nd glass it was a nice Cabernet. It wasn’t up to the level of the 2 Cabernets tasted earlier in the day, but it was nice, with controllled cassis fruit and some leafiness. Very surprising given the state of the bottle and high fill, well stored wines will still be in good shape.

I also picked up a bottle of 79 Petaluma with a similar, but slightly higher, level and it will be interesting to see how that goes.

[kenzo]

What was the JR vintage, Mychurch?

[mychurch]

1992 - I’ll amend the post

[ticklenow1]

A bit of a mixed bag last night, the Chateau Magdelaine was very enjoyable. Whisson one I’ve been impressed with now off a few tastings of various wines / vintages.

Cheers Ed

Ed,
How was the Mount Mary Reflexion? I have 3 bottles of that in the cellar.
Cheers
Ian

[VinoEd]

Hi Ian, I think it’s coming along nicely. Well balanced, punchy fruit, oak present but subtle. I wouldn’t be in a huge rush, good now but think 3-5 years will be in the zone. I’ve got 2 more of them tucked away too to look at around then.

Cheers Ed

[ticklenow1]

Hi Ian, I think it’s coming along nicely. Well balanced, punchy fruit, oak present but subtle. I wouldn’t be in a huge rush, good now but think 3-5 years will be in the zone. I’ve got 2 more of them tucked away too to look at around then.

Cheers Ed

Cheers Ed, I’ll keep them tucked away for a few more years.

Ian

[JDSJDS]

I've been drinking a few Aussie wines recently, with one NZ wine in the list as well.

• 2017 Chapel Hill Grenache Bush Vine - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (2022-12-18)
  I really enjoyed this wine. In the nose and medium bodied palate, there was a mix of red fruits, licorice and a potpourri of spices. Nice purity to the fruit here, not a heavy or overworked grenache at all; only slight tannins left. No rush, but nice now. (A-)
• 2014 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Riesling Pewsey Vale - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (2022-12-11)
  Hazy notes from last night. Eight years have given more weight and depth to this dry riesling. Citrus and stonefruit on the medium bodied palate, with more roundness and non-citrus fruits than in younger versions of this wine, with gives it greater complexity and palate presence. Very nice now, but no rush. (A-)
• 2012 Majella Sparkling Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (2022-12-09)
  The colour and nose were a little lighter than usual for the Majella sparkling shiraz. The palate was medium bodied, quite elegant, with plum and cherry notes. It finished dry. Not as rich or deep than the 2006 I finished off last year, a different style, but quite nice. (B+)
• 2018 Muddy Water Chardonnay - New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara (2022-11-28)
  Hazy notes from a couple of days ago. An elegant, medium bodied Chardonnay that exuded class. A slightly mealy, cashew nut note together with a range of both citrus and tropical fruit. Nothing out of place here. (A-)
• 2008 St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (2022-11-04)
  Similar to the last bottle tried: still fairly dark in colour, with lots of blackfruits, mint and a herbal note on the nose. Very similar on the medium bodied palate, with still quite significant tannins. Perhaps the fruit is losing the battle with the tannins now. I would drink up fairly soon. Best with food - a nice steak - I think. (B+)
• 1997 Tyrrell's Sémillon Vat 1 - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (2022-09-18)
  Hazy notes from a couple days ago. Light gold/yellow in colour. The nose and palate was a little one note, but what a note it was! The palate was medium bodied but incredibly intense lemon preserve, the deepest, most flavourful lemon flavour I've ever tasted in a wine. Quite dry, but there is a slightly creamy texture due to the depth of the lemon fruit; there is a nice length of finish too. Very unique and impressive. (A-)
• 2004 St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (2022-09-14)
  Still dark in colour, just a touch of bricking around the edges. Classic blackfruits and a slight herbal note on nose. Medium bodied, with again classic cab and Coonawarra on the palate; no overt oak, just tasty fruit and a hint of secondary characteristics and cedar. At first, there was a pinch of VA and a weird herbal note, but these dissipated over time. After a couple of hours, this was in a good place and it even improved a bit on the second day. No rush on this, but drinking well now certainly. (B+/A-)

[mychurch]

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The Xmas indulgence has started. The Kosovich Chenin is great stuff and one of my wines of the year. It’s actually made me want to seek out old bottles of Houghtons White Burgundy, which has a lot of Swan Valley Chenin in the blend. This is green veg, citrus, some toast and a beautiful mid palate creminess.

The sparkler was a new house for me and is the 14 Vintage. This spent a long tine on Lees and there is plenty of lees traits showing - bread and honey in particular.

Just opened the Petaluma and it’s not like any others I have had before. This is the first vintage and has a whopping 60% Shiraz in with the Cabernet. It was a low fill and is busy Audouzing, but there is still plenty of red fruit and tertiary flavours.

[cuttlefish]

Nice, Cam.

I've been mixing gin and tonics with Gin Mare, and then an espresso martini each prior to roast turkey lunch, and popped a bottle of Joseph Perrier Brut Nature to have over lunch. I really should delve into the red fridge, but it's quite warm in the new apartment, and a rather warm day...maybe I could throw a red in the fridge to chill it.
Probably some seafood for dinner, so it might be all white tonight as well!

[mychurch]

Enjoy life in the big City Tom.

Got to say that the Petaluma is brilliant. It’s got some old Rhone leather as well as some red berry fruit. Would have looked very odd in Cons tasting, but it’s a darn tasty wine. I’d give it 3.5* and a high level fill wine could easily be 4*.

[VinoEd]

First time trying this and really enjoyed it yesterday. Plenty of tertiary characteristics coming through, but fruit still alive, strong finish. Lovely.

Cheers Ed

[Con J]

Hi Cam.

Nice one on the 1979 Petaluma, would have loved to try it. A wine not on many bucket lists but it sure is on mine.

Found this book in one of the little community library’s, had a quick flick through it. Now if something pops up at auction I can see if they’re worth having a look at.

Cheers Con.

[mychurch]

Con

The Petaluma was only $9 in a mixed lot at the latest MW, so you can imagine the luck I had it being a) drinkable b) ignored by everyone else. I got lucky with a similar low fill 92 Riddoch and could not believe my luck with this as well - hopefully we can find a bottle with a high fill sometime in the future.

I haven’t seen many bargains at auction from the Loire - the high import prices and a few francophiles seem to keep the prices higher than you would find in Europe. I meant to send myself some old Muscadet when I was in Europe, but I never had the time to organise it. There are some great wines and producers and some of them age a very long time.

[Rossco]

Final Wine event of the year: Xmas special 'Distinguished Wines' is the Theme, and one I always look forward to. There is some anxiety and trepidation as to what to bring, ensuring it meets the lofty heights of expectations. Some did, some did not.

As always, all wines served blind


Wine # 1 (Pre Pre extra) – 2014 Best’s Great Western Foudre Ferment Concongella Vineyard Riesling
Lovely Deep gold colour, looks to have some age on it. Nice nose of petroleum jelly and some kero.
Texture is off the chart! This has olive oil type silkiness, brine, and it's creamy all at the same time.
Sweet Red apples, some lime florals, nice balanced acid… but I can’t get over how good it feels in the mouth. Certainly off-dry style, some residual sugar, wild honey wax, and something else….. saffron perhaps. I really like this, great balance here. Finishes with more red apples and kaffir lime.
 

Wine # 2 - 1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque
Wow what a colour, dark gold with some straw edges on the rim. However, the bubbles in the glass are white; popping up from somewhere deep in the glass almost like magic.
Initially stinky nose when poured, buttery/cheesy but it quickly blew off to reveal delicate honeysuckle, new season strawberries, brioche and grilled nuts. Lovely soft mousse, delicate in the mouth, this feels older – 15+ years? Not as chalky as I would have expected from Champagne, maybe the minerality slightly dulls the older the wine is? There is super silky fruit in here, creamy texture, in the yellow fruit / lemon spectrum. Honeydew melon, almond/marzipan and some more buttery notes. Dosage seems on the sweeter side; length is just stunning. This is a complete wine, perfect balance, that acid backbone runs all the way through the palate. Talc dryness wraps everything up in a perfect bundle. Beautiful label. Equal wine of the night.
 

Wine # 3 – 2010 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Yellow core turning to green edges, really something to behold in the glass, it's glowing.
This is such a powerful and commanding wine. Amazing aromas of rolled oats, lots of flint/struck match and grilled/toasted cashews. Fruit explodes in the mouth, envelops the senses loads of white florals, white peach and fennel. This really is god’s country here, so powerful, yet so refined. Grand Cru quality here it's off the charts. Yellow stone fruit adds to the richness, citrus oil acidity, more cashews, fennel and some ginger spice right at the end. Silky and rich texture, but not over ripe. More flinty minerals, lovely balance, perfectly handles oak. This feels middle aged, so I’m 10-ish years old. Perfect drinking window, will still live a long time. Outrageous length: Equal wine of the night.


Wine # 4 – 2016 Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
When is Chablis not Chablis…. When it’s a Raveneau! Green edges, with a yellow/straw core. It looks very young. Green notes in the glass too, but lots going on. Green Papaya, Green pineapple, some dill herbiness, struck match reduction, slightly sweaty socks as well (not in a bad way).
On the palate, some straw/hay characters, lemonade lemon juice, brine texture as well. This is soft and round… cuddly if you will. No oyster shell, no Chablis minerals…. But still a lovely wine. I thought maybe Meursault – but in hindsight I didn’t get the fennel characters.
Falls slightly short in the length my only quibble from what is a great wine totally un-Chablis like.


Wine # 5 – 2001 Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Old and tired. Cork not doing its job. Not sure if faulty, but it’s not right.
Brown & Blurry in the glass. Hard, hard acid I cannot get past. Very rustic in the mouth.
I tipped it out.

A note on this – Others thought it was better than I did, they saw delicate red fruits and soft tannin.


Wine # 6 - 2007 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru
Darker red and older bricking type colour. Slightly blurry too.
Sweaty socks initially on the nose, but it blew off to reveal a lovely red floral nose. Definitely in the tertiary stage of its life/development.
Feels like a burgundy with that tannin profile – specifically Gevrey with how fine grained they are.
Very earthy wine in the mouth, wet forest earth type thing happening. Pine needles, bit of old chesterfield leather, black cherries, and crushed purple flowers. I thought this was a mid-late 90’s burg, so this is very forward in its development. A little thin, but nice length. Based on this bottle, drink now.


Wine # 7 - 2006 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Romirasco
This is one of those wines where the nose just blows you away, but the palate doesn’t.
On the nose, this gets you super excited for what’s to come.
Darker red almost purple in the glass. Huge nose of dried roses, rosewater, strawberries, tar, liquorice and possibly come blackcurrants/black cherries. Smells like Barolo!
In the mouth though, there is simply too much wood/oak. It overpowers and drowns out those lovely fruits. Still so young and primary, needs another 10+ to really allow that oak to settle.
It's high-quality oak, but it’s not what I enjoy in my Nebs. Very powerful fruits, but simply haven’t managed to subdue the small barriques it was aged in. Very large prominent tannin, adds wonderful structure…. This Wine is still so tight and young. Huge future if that oak can integrate/calm down… just opened too early.
 

Wine # 8 - 1998 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin
Bretty Nose. Full or rubber, band aid and iodine. Some slight mint/liquorice
Super hard acid. Cactus & faulty. Tipped out.


Wine # 9 - 2010 Chateau L'Evangile (Pomerol)
Very Dark red/purple in the glass, almost black. Rich and super ripe nose. Rich fruit, rich oak,
Oak smalls a little raw initially. Wow I can’t get over that fruity nose. It’s just so prominent, all wound up to 11ty. Plums, violets – feels like new world fruit its so primary.
Lovely tannins, very silky and fine, this structure has me in Bordeaux – specifically right bank. Vanilla bean, dark chocolate, cassis, blackberries, blueberries tobacco and cigar box.
Confusing wine – fruit is new world; structure is all old world – I relent and guess Bordeaux.
There is a thickness to this wine that I haven’t seen in a while. Its almost chewy in texture, so masculine - there is nothing subtle about this wine; It smacks you in the face. Wonderful length, but just way to young. Another 10+ before you look at it again (cork gods willing).


Wine # 10 - 1995 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Dark red/purple in the glass, no bricking or blurring. There is a purity to the colour that is mesmerising, hard to explain but it was lovely to look at. Nose has lots of mint, cassis, tobacco, florals and new leather. Very elegant nose, I’m left bank Bordeaux straight away. There is familiarity and correctness about this. It proudly speaks of place; it knows what it is and where it’s from.
The palate shows blackcurrants, blackberries, liquorice/menthol type things. Oak is beautifully handled, but again this feels young. Imagine my shock when it was revealed as a 1995 – 27 years young! Everything is in perfect harmony, lovely soft spice, some graphite minerals and a touch of forest floor earth. Violet and purple florals fill out what is a sensational, feminine, but beautifully balanced wine.
 

Wine # 11 - 2004 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Bright purple in the glass, looks much younger than the previous wine, it just shines bright.
Another cabernet/dominant wine if what the nose is anything to go by.
In the mouth, lots of blue/black fruits – blackberry, blueberry, maybe some black tea and mint.
Strangely I picked this as Left Bank Bordeaux, however my learned colleagues suggested the tannin profile was wrong for bdx, even if the fruit wasn’t. I missed that nuisance. I have a lot to learn as this is one of the first Super Tuscans I have actually enjoyed (still not enough to buy), which is why I picked bdx.
Lots of lavender florals, plums, pine, chocolate and a hint of espresso coffee. Great length with refined tannin, lovely balance of fruit, oak and acid. Length is nice as well.


Wine # 12 - 2010 Chateau Le Dome (St Emilion)
Impenetrable black colour, so deep and dense. It looks very young in the glass.
Lots of heat/alcohol on the nose initially, thankfully it blew off with some air. Again
this feels like a right bank, those dry prominent tannins always put me around the Saint-Emilion
Region. These black tea tannins are really serious, coats the mouth, dominates the wine and the fruits take a bit of a back step, but again I’m confused. This doesn’t taste like a merlot / dominant wine. Sensational floral nose violets, some red/blue type of fruits. Raspberries and blueberries, young plums maybe as well. Some really nice graphite, crushed black slate minerals not quite charcoal though. Has some tobacco, bay leaf herbs and nice cedary oak; although not integrated at this stage, it pokes out a little. This is on the lighter side of full bodied, more than medium+, I’m intrigued as to what this is! I really enjoyed the energy in this wine, it's got a vibrance about it. Length for days! No wonder im confused with 80% Cab Franc!


Wine # 13 (Backup) - 2007 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee da Capo
Lemon Fly Spray – Faulty – Tipped out


Wine # 14 (sweet) - 2018 Château de Mauvin
Amber Straw Gold in colour, nose has canned apricots, Barley sugar, white flowers.
I pick Barsac due to the Barley Sugar – im wrong.
Some tropical fruits, ripe yellow peach, almond paste, orange rind and zest adds the acidity balance it needs. Sweet mandarin juice notes on the back palate with some really nice clove spice and a hint of cinnamon. Ends with some very slight grassy notes. Good length without being great. Cracking wine for the $$.


Wine # 15 – 1980 Warre’s Vintage Port
Very dark purple, touch or red on the rim. Bright/Vibrant colour, no pricking or blurring whatsoever indicates it’s young (oh how wrong everyone was). Clearly a VP, has that VP colour you can’t go past. Nose has some alcohol heat, but some nice dark fruits and dark spice notes.
Wow, this is still so very primal, so fresh in its fruit profile – young blackberries, blueberries, star anise and prunes.
Hard acid though, its tough to get over, spirit is dominating as well, huge spirit. Once you get past these two things, some lovely liquorice, coffee and mocha notes. There is a mineral saline element in the wine that makes me wonder if this is Portuguese, but those rich ripe primary fruits and the deep, dark colour of the wine have me in Australia – Another confusing wine!
Some ripe figs, more coffee and cocoa, black spices, and some final almond/nutty notes.
Just so young, defies its age and this bottle would have lasted forever (cork allowing). Apparently a relatively new bottling direct from the winery. Has been stored in their cellars and in barrels for the past 40 years! No wonder it looks young!


 

[JamieAdelaide]

Rossco don’t tip them out! They often blossom with aeration. Seen it a hundred times. Bretty could actually be the varietal characteristic of straight Mourvèdre too.

[mychurch]

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Agree with Jamie, although at a dinner it’s hard to keep glasses.

Cooked 2 enormous flintstone style steaks tonight and had the 84 Thahbilk Cabernet with it This had a base of neck fill and I Audouzed for 4 hours.

Just great. It has a lot of brown in the colour, but this is still alive with a lovely delicate, high acid mouth feel, and lots of red fruit, violets and a savoury mid palate. Finish is long. No real complexity, but the drinkability more than make up for it. Could easily pass for one of these old Auz Burgundy’s.

[Rossco]

Rossco don’t tip them out! They often blossom with aeration. Seen it a hundred times. Bretty could actually be the varietal characteristic of straight Mourvèdre too.

All the reds have been opened for a substantial amount of time to breathe (apart from the backup). In the case of the Conterno, the morning of the event it was decanted for sediment and put back in the bottle. Same with the Beaucastel. It was checked decanted and checked in the morning. So it had 12 hours of being opened.

As it was a dinner, there is little time to put the glass aside and see what happens especially with 15 wines being shown.
The group were in agreement that the two CdP's were gone, it wasnt just my thoughts. The Bonnes Mares was the most controversial of the night
if anything. The presenter being convinced it was how its supposed to be, I didnt agree.

[JamieAdelaide]

Must have been flawed in sone way as that cuvee pretty timeless. It do does seem polarising in Australia where many think it’s bretty.

[mychurch]

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We drink the wine, not the label of course. This came in the same mixed lot as last weeks 92 John Riddoch and this is the far superior bottle. Forget the name, this is cracking Shiraz, probably at its peak. No heat, gloopyness nor sweetness, just a nice mature easy drinking Shiraz. Eucalyptus, red berry, liquorice, lovely round mouth feel, touch of menthol on the finish. Really nice. 13.5% and likely to be finished very quickly.

[phillisc]

Still struggling with the COVID hangover but body finally getting back to normal. 2022 Petaluma Riesling. This would have to be one of the most consistent and great vfm propositions over the last 30 years.
Lovely fruit salad aromas, gentle palate but great length, nice lick of acid and a twinge of sweetness. Cracking wine.
Cheers Craig

[sjw_11]

BF933D34-26A6-452B-AEE5-175F388FBE06.jpeg

We drink the wine, not the label of course. This came in the same mixed lot as last weeks 92 John Riddoch and this is the far superior bottle. Forget the name, this is cracking Shiraz, probably at its peak. No heat, gloopyness nor sweetness, just a nice mature easy drinking Shiraz. Eucalyptus, red berry, liquorice, lovely round mouth feel, touch of menthol on the finish. Really nice. 13.5% and likely to be finished very quickly.

If memory serves at this time they were committing quite a lot of money to make themselves more "legitimate" so I am not totally surprised... still I love when something over delivers the label!