Help please from the Mega Red fans out there

[Cheyne]

Hi All,

I've organised a tasting for a group of friends this Saturday night with the theme of red wines over 15.5% alcohol and i need some help with some suggestions for some of the guests.

The purpose of the tasting is to look at wines with a high alcohol content and the effect it can have on balance and structure. That and its getting cold around here...and i have an ox to slay and BBQ.

Anyway, I've come up with a few on my own ie, Warrabilla, Liebich, Bullers but could use a few more ideas.

I figured this would be a good place to ask for some ideas as there are a few of you guys out there with a fetish for the mega red.

Any help would be much appreciated,

Cheers
Cheyne

[Guest]

Noon, Kaesler, Wild Duck Creek.

[Petaluma]

Jim Barry Lodge Hill. Havent had the 03 yet but the 02 is the goods and they can be had for about $18

[Guest]

Bullers have just released two new wines, a straght Mondeuse at 17.5% and a Shiraz Viognier at 16%. Available Cellar Door only.

[Wizz]

If you are looking for Over 15.5% and not equal to 15.5% this is really the thin end of the wedge. Add to the list above:

Warrabilla - the winemaker is a regular here
Greenock Creek

AB

[Red Bigot]

Cheyne, this is an interesting exercise, there are a lot of reds in the 14.5 - 15.5% bracket but there are not all that many that are in fact labeled as over 15.5% and are reasonably available. Some producers deliberately mark down the alcohol a few 10ths of a percent, so some of the 15.2-15.5% may actually be over 15.5%.

I can't think offhand of any more than those already listed, as I'm pretty tolerant of high-alcohol I tend to ignore that and conentrate on whether the wine is in balance and has a flavour/structure profile I like. Although my database has a field for alcohol % I seldom fill it in.

A few that may be getting close if you need some more, although you may not be able to get some of them in time for the weekend:
Tyrrells Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2003 (15.2%)
Water Wheel Shiraz 2003 (15.5%)
Tait Ball-Buster Shiraz/Cab/Merlot (15.5%)
Tait BP Shiraz 2002 (15.3%)
Glaymond Shiraz/Mataro 2002 (16.4%)
Glaymond Cabernet 2002 (15.6%)
Kangarilla Rd Zinfandel 2002 (16.0%)

[Davidc]

Cheyne,

As RB says, many wines are purposefully labelled with lower alc/vol. Regulations dicatate that the label must be within +/- 1.5% of the actual alc/vol. (the US and UK have different rules)

This means that a 15.0% wine can be labelled as 13.5%.

Its effectively a marketing tool so that the maker can communicate alc/vol as well as style (to a certain degree) and not scare the consumer off (by detailing 15% alc/vol)

That said, there are couple of Normans wines (old Vine & Chais) that are over 15% but labeled under.

Cheers
David

[n4sir]

Hi Cheyne,

You can add to the list the 2003 Jeanneret Grenache/Shiraz - labelled as 15.5%, but it's officially 15.9% - tastes like it too.

When you guys are drinking all these, please don't get too close to the BBQ or you could spontaneously combust!

Cheers
Ian

[KMP]

Pity you can't get the 2003 Two Hands SophieÂ’s Garden Padthaway Shiraz 16.6%, or the 2003 Marquis Philips #9 Shiraz which comes in at about 16%.

The 2003's from Gnadenfrei Estate are up there, over 15%, but probably hard to find as well.

Mike

[Guest]

If you don't mind Grenache, 2001 La Testa Grenache @ 15.5% and CMC Grenache(cheaper version) which is @15.0%.

[Baby Chickpea]

Pretty rare but early Duck Muck's (1992 /1993) came in at around 18%! Apparently still drinking very well too.

[n4sir]

Cheyne,

As RB says, many wines are purposefully labelled with lower alc/vol. Regulations dicatate that the label must be within +/- 1.5% of the actual alc/vol. (the US and UK have different rules)

This means that a 15.0% wine can be labelled as 13.5%.

Its effectively a marketing tool so that the maker can communicate alc/vol as well as style (to a certain degree) and not scare the consumer off (by detailing 15% alc/vol)

That said, there are couple of Normans wines (old Vine & Chais) that are over 15% but labeled under.

Cheers
David

I always thought that the labelling requirements were within +/- 0.5% alcohol: has this changed in the last year or so?

If so it would certainly be a God-send to Jim Barry Wines who were openly packing it about how the 2003 Armagh was looking like two years ago - at that stage they thought it could be over 16% which would wipe out their UK market as it would have been classified as a fortified.

Cheers
Ian

[Guest]

Arakoon DOYEN 2001/3

[platinum]

There is one type of Sevenhill that ive seen that is 15.5+ but cant remember which one. Hav'nt tried it.

As mentioned above I have Lodge Hill in my cellar and its a great drop for the money and really starts to open up after 2 hours in the decanter.

I also have Eclipse.

[Davidc]

Ian,

The UK has a limit of +/- 0.5%. Aust has alway been 1.5%

Cheers
David

[Daryl Douglas]

If you can find a Jasper Hill Georgia's 99, it's labelled 15.5%. One of my best ever Shiraz and still have 2 btls left - and NO you can't have one.

daz

[Cheyne]

Thanks everyone,

There have been a lot of helpful suggestions, i'll let you know how the tasting turns out.

Cheers
cheyne

[lantana]

Here's a few more:

Cape Mentelle Zinfandel 2002 16%
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2002 16.6%
Shirvington Shiraz 2003 16%

lantana

[Smithy1]

Highest I've seen is 18% on the Peel estate Zin.
Don't know if its dry though, and i'm a big believer that they have to be BONE dry....ie less than 1 g/L residual sugar.

Cheers
Smithy

[Davo]

8)

Highest I've seen is 18% on the Peel estate Zin.
Don't know if its dry though, and i'm a big believer that they have to be BONE dry....ie less than 1 g/L residual sugar.

Cheers
Smithy

I'll bring one over next year.