The forth meeting of the Wine Cabinet had two rules:
1. Red wine
2. 15.5% alcohol or higher
Purpose: To examine the effect of lots of alcohol on the overall balance of the wines tasted.
Result: By the end of the night 8 smashed peopleÂ…and many severe hangovers the next day.
All wines were double decanted and left to sit for an hour before the first round of tasting. At the end of the tasting votes taken to determine the top three wines of the night. Wines are listed in no particular order.
2002 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 15.5% - Clare Valley
Deep purple; Most found pepper and spice on the nose, with the alcohol in the background. All I got from this wine was dark fruits, aniseed and alcohol sweetness, seemed to have a bit of a bite towards the finish with noticeably rough tannins. The wine lacked balance. Opened up a little (but not much) throughout the night.
Supplementary note: After 5 days sitting on my kitchen bench, it tasted a lot better.
2002 Leibich The Darkie Shiraz 15.7% - Barossa Valley
Deep purple; Strong smell of Barossa dust (reminded me of my last trip there), blackcurrants and just about any other dark fruit you can imagine. Heavy mouthfeel, peppery, spicy, some chocolate notes, mocha oak were all found. A really elegant wine, well balanced if not just a tad raisiny. Voted 1st place overall.
2002 Morgan Simpson Shiraz 15.8% - McLaren Vale
Deep purple; Quite funky on the nose, reminded me of sour cherries. The fruit really took a background role to the alcohol here, very hot finish yet fell over quickly, again lacked balance. Was probably the least enjoyed wine by all in attendanceÂ…and didnÂ’t really get much better during the course of the evening.
2003 Arakoon The Doyen Shiraz 16.5% - McLaren Vale
Opaque, blacy/purple; Dark, stewed fruits, massive whiff of alcohol. Massive!! A huge fruitbomb, heaps of dark stewed fruits, yet still complex. Prominent oak held the alcohol on check, and for such a high A/V the alcohol was not dominant. Impressive length, just kept going and going. I was surprised how pleasant this was, I wasnÂ’t prepared for it to seem so balanced and well structured. Voted 2nd place overall.
2003 Warrabilla Reserve Durif 16% - Rutherglen
Near black purple; Abundant fruit on the nose, I found cherries and plums. Viscous, again abundant fruit flavours and a bit of spice. Smooth well integrated oak, alcohol and tannin. ExcellentÂ…and IÂ’m not just saying that coz the winemaker is a regular here
Supplementary note: I drank the remains of the bottle over the next 3 days and it kept getting better and better. Voted equal 3rd place overall.
2002 Bullers Calliope Durif 16% - Rutherglen
Black/purple; Somewhat floral, specifically lifted violets and musk. Lots of sweet fruit, quite open, immediately approachable for such a big wine. Finished beautifully with dry, fine tannins and excellent length. Like the Warrabilla, every aspect of the wine seemed in balance. Voted equal 3rd place overall.
2002 Wild Duck Creek Springflat Shiraz 15.5% - Heathcote
Deep purple; Dry, dusty nose with hints of menthol, although still seemed quite closed first time around. Full, heavy mouthfeel, lots of jammy dark fruits followed by pepper. Smooth tannins and well balanced oak with the tiniest bit of heat showing through on the finish. This wine divided opinion. Opened up really nicely over the next few hours.
2002 Bullers Calliope Shiraz 16.0% - Rutherglen
Opaque purple; Lots of dark fruits and a little star anise on the nose. On the palate I found considerable amounts of sweet fruit an alcohol flavours, some chocolate followed by fine, grippy tannins. Overall well integrated, not surprisingly the alcohol was quite noticeable.
After a good couple of hours of serious tasting and re-tasting, caution was abandoned, the BBQ was fired up and a feat ensued. A fantastic night was had by allÂ…and most of us remembered enough to tell the tale.
Thanks for your time,
Cheers
cheyne
