Just recieved 2 bottles of the above. Has anyone tasted it? Got any further info?
I am a huge fan of sparkling reds and this curio blend of 1968,1978 and 1996 at 15.5% seemed too intriguing to pass up.
I also recently bought some old Seppelts a 1954 Show Sparkling Burgundy and a 1946! Will post notes when i can think of a suitable occasion.
Also recieved a mixed case of Warrabilla thanks to posters on the forum. Am looking forward to trying these shy retiring reds!! Which seem marvelously inappropiate given our discussion...
Am drinking a super Italian Montepulciano D'Abruzzo called Colle Morino 2001, 12.5% £6 and delicious!
Lastly... had a Bullers Rare Muscat on Sunday morning/Saturday night-nectar of the gods
I haven't tasted this wine but live in the Rutherglen area and have spoken to many who have. The reaction is very mixed which makes me think that there is a lot of bottle variation which is not suprising given the age of some of the wines in the blend.
I spoke to one of the guys in the cellar door about this wine in July and they said that they found a bin of the 68 and 76 in the cellar and wondered what to do with it. I guess selling as it was was never an option as there would have been a lot of dud bottles. So they decedied to blend it with the 96 and make it into a sparkling red.
It will be interesting to know how similair your 2 bottles are. I was tempted to buy a bottle but though it was to much of a risk at $50 a bottle or so.
Good luck and I agree that the Buller's Rare muscat is pretty damm good and not bad value at $60 a bottle cellar door.
Noel wrote:I am a huge fan of sparkling reds and this curio blend of 1968,1978 and 1996 at 15.5% seemed too intriguing to pass up. I also recently bought some old Seppelts a 1954 Show Sparkling Burgundy and a 1946! Will post notes when i can think of a suitable occasion.
Noel,
You may be interested in a NV Seppelts Great Western Sparkling Burgundy that I am listing in my upcoming auction. It has been dated by Karl Seppelt at around the late 1920's early 1930's before Seppelts used to put vintage labels on thier SB.
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
The wine is a cracker. Big, ripe, complex and rich with bubbles. Not much elegance though. I have had it on 2 occasions but the notes have been eaten up by the previous Auswine Forum but I do have quasi-notes from one of these occassions that have been saved on TORBWINE but please note that it is more prose than tasting note.
3. R.L.BULLER & SON Family Reserve-Reginald Langdon Buller Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet: 1968 reserve 40%,1972 Reserve 15%,1996 Reserve 45%. 15.5%vol.:
“The first two wines were like James Bond; this is more like Arnold Schwarzenegger, or even worse, Sylvester Stallone.†– Attilla
“This is my first sparkling Port. Ric, I thank you.†– Attila
Although it was already obvious to Ric, Marion and I that Attila was a unique individual, this wine indeed brought out some theatrics. However, despite the aloof nature in which Attila speaks, as usual, his words conveyed understanding. Although I do not agree that the wine was unbalanced, believing it more to be part of the style, after tasting and analysing the previous two wines, I could only agree with AttilaÂ’s conclusion that the winemaker of this wine was not Champagne trained and did not have great skill in putting bubbles into wine. I had been served this wine before by Ric and easily identified it. This was not difficult or surprising. It is a unique wine that I enjoy. Ripe, rich palate-filling flavours with great complexity. Most thought it from Barossa or McLaren Vale. I allowed Ric the pleasure of revealing the wine as Victorian. After the previous wines, I felt it slightly cloying but how often do I drink the wines of the previous' calibre. I have not had a better sparkling red. Rated Excellent, I think it could have achieved a higher level with better winemaking. However, this wine stood tall in a great line up of significantly more expensive wines. A call to the winery is on my to-do list.
“Ric, you know the Italian word Primitivo; that is what I expect from your Pinots!†– Attila
Noel wrote:I also recently bought some old Seppelts a 1954 Show Sparkling Burgundy and a 1946! Will post notes when i can think of a suitable occasion.
I have been lucky enough to try the 53 Seppelt SP burg twice in the last 12 months. My brief impressions at Christmas last year were;
Tasted Dec 2002 wrote:1953 Seppelts Sparkling Burgundy – Very good vs nv Rockford Black Shiraz (02 disgorge) – Very good
50 years apart but similarities were there. Palate structure and a real ripe cherry on the tongue were evident in both wines. Â’53 was mushrooms and damp earth, awesome and not dead yet!
And I tried it again at our sh!t hot dinner in October, I didn't take notes, but Wizz did.
Wizz copyright, Winestar, Oct 03 wrote:Now a sparkling red. But hang on, this is deadset brown! Looks like an old tokay! This started as funky rancio, barnyard, chook poo, but after 10 mins started to show a bit of cherry. Not a wine you'd choose to drink, but its apparent this has a LOT of age on it. The wine is eventually revealed as the 1953 Seppelt Show Sparkling Burgundy, made by Colin Preece. Truly amazing that this wine was still in any kind of condition, and showing such a strong bead. A piece of Australian wine history.
Mark K
Last edited by Mark K on Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Noel,
I tried it with Red Bigot (Brian) and TORB (Ric) at the Canberra offline. I think it was Brian's bottle actually. Very nice wine. Quite savoury in the earthy/leathery spectum from memory. I liked it but alas my notes have fallen off the internet in the old forum.
Having asked for info, i recently cracked one of the 2 bottles i shippe to the UK. Excuse the slightly instructional notes as this was posted on my website. I love this unique Australian style!!
. A sparkling Shiraz Cabernet. 40% from 1968 Reserve wine, 15% from 1972 and 45% from 1996 Reserve wine. These aged reds were bottle matured and at disgorging were liquered with some young 2002 Rutherglen vintage port. The result a unique sparkling wine weighing in at 15.5% alcohol. The technique of using old reds to form the base wine is not new, but not especially common, the other main producer using this technique would be Primo Estate with their excellent Joseph sparkling red. It has a lovely plum, prune, black cherry and Christmas cake nose. The mousse is fine and it displays wonderful currant, plum and cherry fruit. Chocoalte and licorice too. A great match with roast duck. The alcohol without food does show a little, however this is a complex sparkling red. It really has the contrast in flavours of old soft mature red and punchy young wine. The dosage is perfect, the wine being nicely dry. I personally love the style-it is very individual but works for me. I would like to see the alcohol tamed by a degree or so for even better balance. A truly unique tasting experience
